Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Seeing that his method had captured the attention of every apprentice officer, the officer smiled smugly and nodded.

"Are you all awake? Actually, I was almost asleep just now." The officer's voice was clear and piercing, yet much louder than when ordinary people spoke; everybody in the auditorium could hear him perfectly, which was obviously the effect of a spell to amplify sound.

Winters thought to himself that amplifying one's voice was not difficult, but maintaining such stability was. For spellcasters, using a spell wasn't as simple as pressing a button to achieve a certain effect.

Spellcasters' process of using spells is more akin to muscle exertion. Major Moritz's burst of loud noise was the release of as much magical power as possible in an instant, like throwing a punch with all one's might, striving for explosive power.

And this officer was controlling the volume extremely smoothly through his spell, speaking while casting, as if he were tightrope walking while reciting poetry. Ordinary officers might not find this impressive, but for spellcasters, it was nothing short of an outright show of skill.

Winters found himself interested in this senior spellcaster.

The officer continued indifferently, "I don't want to waste everyone's time, so I didn't prepare a speech, and I have very little to say."

With one hand, the spellcaster swept over all the apprentice officers in the small auditorium: "You graduated from the foremost military academy on this continent. Did those few say you were the most promising and brightest youths in the Army?"

"The most promising and brightest youths?" The officer snorted coldly, raising his voice, "Where? I don't see any! Every active-duty officer in this auditorium is an alumnus who came before you, and at best you will only become like us!

Becoming a bureaucratic Army officer who can bore you to sleep like dead pigs, what future and prospects is that? Every one of us has come all the way from where you are standing, so let me give you two pieces of advice as a senior."

This sudden denigration snapped all the warrant officers to attention, as sharp criticism often attracts more attention than lavish praise.

The officer raised a finger: "First, everyone here has been singing praises of their department's work, but let me tell you, it's none of your concern. You're just apprentice officers; in the coming year, you'll only do trivial chores! Copying reports, changing ink... that's about it."

Winters and Bard exchanged wry smiles, as the lieutenant colonel slapped every warrant officer's face resoundingly.

Then he raised a second finger: "Second, even though you're only responsible for odd jobs, you'll be doing them in the most powerful violencer in this continent!

Listen up! You will have the chance to observe up close how the power center of the Vineta Army operates and makes decisions, an opportunity that officers from miscellaneous backgrounds would die for! If being so close to power doesn't excite you, then you don't deserve to be officers; better to take off your uniforms and scram right now!

Go on! Dismiss! Go run errands for the officers and generals! But if a general's wife sends someone to ask about her husband's evening schedule, tell them he has a meeting, got it? I've said all I want to say! That's it, assembly dismissed!"

The warrant officers burst into laughter, and the small auditorium was filled with sustained, enthusiastic applause.

"Who is this guy? Which department head?" Winters, clapping vigorously, asked Bard.

Bard flipped a page in his notebook: "Lieutenant Colonel Field Drums."

————I am a lowly line separator————

Late that evening, at dinner time. Aunt Cosha and Cousin Elizabeth were busy in the kitchen, while Antonio and Winters were setting the table.

The big general, enticed by the aroma, was clamoring at the kitchen door, unable to enter, and could only lie by the door, licking his fur to soothe his craving.

"How did the meeting go this afternoon? Which department do you want to apprentice in?" Antonio asked Winters as he distributed the utensils.

Every year, the warrant officers returning to Vineta would have such a meeting, aiming to acquaint these new military academy graduates with the basic structure of the Vineta Army and allow them to choose their departments for apprenticeship.

Although in theory the choice was voluntary, if too many people applied for a certain department, that department would pick a few apprentice officers, and the other applicants would be distributed to departments where no one had applied, preserving a roughly even allocation of apprentice officers to the various departments of the Army.

"I want to go to Lieutenant Colonel Field," Winters answered earnestly while placing plates, genuinely attracted by the lieutenant colonel's charisma.

"Field Drums?" Antonio appeared mildly surprised.

Winters nodded, "Yes."

Antonio laughed at the name, musing jovially, "He's a famous troublemaker. Zio is always ranting about tossing him over to the Historical Office. If he weren't a spellcaster, he would have been shipped overseas a long time ago."

"Maybe," Winters considered it wiser to listen obediently as his uncle made fun of the lieutenant colonel who might become his superior; he scratched his head and said, "I just feel like Lieutenant Colonel Field is more sincere when he speaks."

"Someone who dares to say anything, if not sincere, what is he?" Antonio's tone carried no hint of disapproval; he just found the situation amusing.

After setting the tableware, both men sat waiting for the meal to be served.