A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"Your praise does come with great gratitude. It is rare for one to find such a willing student. Those not actively involved tend to forget that this is very much a two-way endeavour. Most of the pupils here think that being here is enough to learn.

I am always in search for a spark that goes a step further than that, and in you, I found it, and attempted to nurture it, as I have with others," Volguard said. "I am proud to have called you a student. When the scholars come to write of your achievements, I will be proud to have played a small role in the life of the man that wrought them."

"Unlike Yoreholder, I do not feel the need to leave this Academy of ours. I believe the future to be in the younglings, even if I do hold to the same conclusion as her, that strength, in the end, shall win out," Volguard said. "Go forth, young Patrick. I have taught you all that I could think to teach you. Go forth, and secure your wishes."

…

…

"What?" Hod said, sitting with his legs crossed atop a desk. It was clearly not an instrument meant for sitting, and it was quite clearly not a desk that was meant for him, but he sat there regardless, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

To make matters worse, he was munching an apple, and to make matters even worse, the man who that desk belonged to was forced to sit elsewhere because of Hod's presence.

"You're sitting on the General's desk, Minister…" Oliver said, glancing at Tavar, and finding himself surprised that General Tavar didn't appear as irritated as he ought to have. It gave Oliver the distinct impression that this likely happened more often than one would expect.

"I am," Hod said. "Your skills of deduction are as impressive as ever."

"…General?" Oliver said.

"A bird requires its perch," Hod replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, speaking before Tavar could.

"It shouldn't be the perch of a man that is above him, though," Oliver said.

"Above me? You mean his title?" Hod said. "But Tavar and I do not operate merely on titles. We see things differently."

"Do you, General?" Oliver said.

"Around this man, I am forced to," the General said tiredly.

Oliver thought that Hod's impetuousness was going beyond its usual bounds. It was almost like seeing a child causing mischief because he knew he could get away with it.

"I did not expect that you would be here, Minister," Oliver said. "I had come to see the General."

"Obviously," Hod said, continuing to chomp through his apple. "Which is exactly why I am here. It saves us both time, does it not? You would not have been able to find me, even if you wished to."

The Minister had a good point there. In all the conversations that he had ever shared with the man, he'd never started one by setting out to find the Minister. The Minister had always ended up finding him. Oliver did not even know where Hod's offices were.

"…Another prediction of yours is right, then," Oliver said. "Your prediction as to what would happen in the Capital was right as well."

"I did not predict the fact that you would end up travelling to the Capital yourself, however," Hod said, and he very much didn't look pleased about that fact. "Predicting the first part of the arrangement though – of course I would. If even Skullic could see it, then any fool could."

General Tavar shifted uncomfortably. Oliver had the distinct feeling that he was not a man that had been able to foresee it. He cleared his throat, as if to distract from that fact.

"You are leaving," he said simply. "And early at that. It is natural that you would need to acquire my permission for that."

"Do I have it?" Oliver asked.

"That would depend. What is it you think that you can achieve on the war front? You already have battlefields here aplenty through the orders of the High King. You have your studies here too, and your Professors. I wonder if your eagerness to depart is not more than a little rushed," Tavar said.

"General, we've been through this," Hod said. "It is the High King forcing his hand. What he wants is immaterial."

"I ask regardless," General Tavar said. "What is it you want, Oliver Patrick?"

"I wish to be of use," Oliver said. "I wish to learn more about this world that I have stepped into, and extend what I have already learned, to see just how far I can really reach."

"In other words, you want to get stronger?" General Tavar said. "That is the aim of all youths."

"Stronger, perhaps, but he is filled with the desire to achieve, are you not, Patrick?" Hod said. "That is the mark of a conqueror. That is the mark of what shall lead our futures. Do you disagree, Tavar?"

Tavar grunted. "That is the mark of war, and the end of peace. I would not be as quick to encourage it as you."

Minister Hod snorted through his nose. "We've seen what the current peace looks like. Even if you wish to turn your eyes and pretend to be blind, it will not extend forever. Too much pressure has built up. The Time of Tigers shall come, General, whether you wish it or not."

"Then why are you not more eagerly pursuing the battlefield, Minister?" Tavar said. "With your talents, you would take it by storm. If you truly believed that our future was in winning Blackwell's campaign, then you ought to offer up your services."

"Never once did I state that it was in the campaign itself," Hod said, as quick with a refutation as ever. "I believe it to be the forces that can construct that victory. That is where our victory lies. The Tigers – that is what I believe in. Not the victories themselves. They're mere meat.

A route to growth. What this country needs is Tigers it can rely on."