The Birth of the War Goddess

-Woahh!- acclamate my roommates...

For the weapon training every room rotates daily. We get paired by 2 rooms and 1 instructor for each exercise:

2 will train swords or greatsword

2 spear

2 sabre and knives

2 horse fighting

2 bow or crossbow, which is our turn along our neighbors

For a total of 60 untrained Nobles just in our region, I wonder how many untrained Nobles there are in all the Empire... Such well fed bodies that could be useful soldiers on the battlefield.

...

-How can you hit them all without missing?!- -And always right in the center too!-

-I just trained a lot in my youth...- a bit far away I see a guy looking at my targets before sighing towards his, still empty with arrows... If I recall well he should be the son of General Zao Lao.

-Impressive Indeed... Where have you trined?- ask our instructor

-Actually in the wood... On a mountain later on-

-You did it all alone?- he asks dumbfounded

-Yes... Well except for a couple of months where a refugee helped me to refine my techniques-

-What else can you do?-

I look around us -I wouldn't like to show off too much tho, if you understand me... Being a woman it wouldn't be nice to make other jealous-

I almost whisper... It's not like I don't trust my roommates but never say never when words start spreading...

This is an old habit I need to forget from my Lady days, still I would like to have a peaceful expirince here

-Very well then, I hope one day to see more from you... Now let's all start again from a longer distance!-

-Oh come on!- yells a guy dragging his body back, Hua instead grin happily being really skilled with the bow

-Who is that refuge you said Lai'Er?-

-Nobody relevant... He just happened to stop by our city for some time before continuing his travel-

-Do you think he could be in a commoner camp in our region?-

-I doubt so... He was traveling to the south so he must have been recruited into the southern branch of the army... And let's be honest, there's probably no training camp for the commoners-

-Uhm... What a shame he must have been a good guy-

-What does that means?- I aim for my next target -We are all going into war anyway... Or at least that's what they told us-

-Well that's true... Who knows maybe one day you will meet again so you can thank him!-

-I really hope so... I promised to defeat him next time- and the arrow darts off.

...

We finally have some rest for lunch, around 2pm

-My arms are soar...-

-Do you only know how to complain all day?-

-Any problem with that?- asks annoyed Hua to Wei Xuan before showing off his tongue

-He's not so wrong actually... Training with the bow is a lot less tiring than most of the other exercises... Will you make it by the end of the week Ge?- I mock him

-Are you on my side or what Lai'Er?!-

-Can you imagine that we have that many hours of styding now...?- sighs Kasuo

-Strategy and examining old wars is extremely important too- corrects him Shun

-But I want to fight! I'm not a person who spend their time seat down reading... We are here to smash enemies heads!- he says hissing his fist

-We are here to win a war and you don't achieve such a thing just by killing... Especially when your enemy is much more cleaver and prepared their plan for years- I intrude their conversation

-Tz whatever... It's not like I'll be the one moving troupes- he bites on his steamed bun, munching angry

-Don't worry, we were quite sure of that haha- mocks him Hua

...

For the rest of the day we all work togheter... We keep reading and repeating mantras, about honor and power, before getting to the actual studying.

For this week the main goal will be memorizing the mantras, the real strategy will come after and apparently there will be exams too along with practical application... Which actually consist in instructor dividing us in two factions, recreating a battlefield of any kind where we will have to organize our troupes and resources alone...

Once they will reputate us knowledgeable enough, we will be confronting with another section as a tournament.

This will help determinate who will have which role on the actual battlefield one day and push us all to do better.

...

-So this is the resistance training- comments Hua with dead eyes looking at the hill in front of us

Since the Palace is in a mountainous area, each sect will train their resistance in a similar environment to help us get used to the northern landscape

-You have time until the sun touches the horizon to reach the top! Only for today we will give you time until the sun has completely passed the horizon... -

-This is a joke right, Lai'Er?- whispers Hua

-... On the track we placed many obstacles and some instructor will be interfering with the climbing to see how you will react to unexpected events... - goes on the instructor

-He must be kidding- his brows squint up

-...mAnd while doing so you all must not bother the wild beasts living in here...-

-Kwha!- almost gains Hua

-... All while carrying a bucket of water without spilling it, which will substitute the weighs of anything you might be transporting on the battlefield such as a sword or a wounded comrade...

Being inexperienced many of you would end up stabbing themselves if we gave you anything else than water-

-This is torture!-

-If you had to bring medicine to a diying comrade, that definitely wouldn't look like torture-

He pouts at me -You are not like a man ideed... You are worst!-

-Hahah, let's go if you want to eat!-

And so does the training start

It shouldn't be too difficult to climb but will I be able to reach the top on time? I haven't really trained my resistance over time a lot

-Will you be waiting for me if I don't make it in time?-

-Are you already giving up?-

-Yes...-

-Ah... Gusss I'll save up some food for you then-

-AHHHH!-

We get distracted by a guy screaming nearby and Hua falls from a tree branch we are using as a bridge

-T the bucket!- I reach foward to take it from him, but I fail to stop him from hitting his back on a rock

-You idiots, don't go making other lose focus for... A deer?! Are you for real idot?!- he yells standing back up

-Sorry Lai'Er... I suppose it is better for you to go without me... At least one of the two should eat tonight-

-Stand up instead!- comes Shun Zhang from behind, hitting on his back to straighten him up

-Our room stick together young man!-

-I don't think that I can make it... Not yet.

Let her go, if one make it to the end it will be already enough for our first day-

-Well, you are right... Ahh it can't be helped, we'll work together here, you go on ChnagLai!- I nod giving back Hua's bucket and jump on a tree, using its braches to cover more distance in less time

-She's so damn fast... Can this even be real?-

-And we can't even hear her... Woah!- comments Wei approaching the other two men