"Hey, little girl, don't you think you should just stay at home and find yourself a husband?"
"I have a son. Are you willing to marry him? No worries, he is a good man, and if ever he hurts you, I will teach him a lesson. You are a daughter of a martyr, so---"
"I am very sorry, but I don't want to marry anyone, and I really wanted to enter the army." Amishta was quite irritated, but since she had a change of identity, she tried to stop creating troubles for herself.
"You actually dare to turn down our captain. He was just trying to help you, yet you seem to be overestimating yourself." The vice captain reacted very angrily.
They don't have a concept of being gentle to a young girl, but they are just too respectful of their seniors. They helped civilians, but they tended to agree with their captains.
"I agree. If you think you can enter the Duke's mansion, then you must be dreaming. I saw how you interact with the Duke, and it seems you have feelings for him. If you want to enter the army just to seduce him, then get out. We train ourselves here to win wars and save our kingdom." Amishta gritted her teeth and smirked but still kept her mouth shut.
The men in the army are mostly trained from their youths, and the concept of love is not so popular with them. They see their officers as someone they admire the most, and they don't want any disrespect for them. Lastly, they see women as porcelain and someone they need to save and not someone who can fight with them on the battlefield.
"Don't you think you are bullying a young girl enough? You didn't even know her, but you judge her already for her gender." A young man looked at Amishta and smiled at her. His looks were refined and quite feminine but still looked handsome. Someone who can be considered an idol in the modern world.
"You are just new here, but you already disrespect your officers for a woman, though she is pitiful, but we are just saving her from her thought of being a soldier. As the daughter of a martyr, we want her to just be a normal girl and live for her father, but she doesn't even consider it." The vice captain stared at both the woman and the young man intently.
"Being a soldier is not a play. If you decide to become a soldier, then your life is already not yours alone but our kingdom's. A soldier lives and dies at war. Do you get it? We don't bully her, but we want to enlighten her." The captain calmly stated it. He already has a daughter; he wants the young girl in front of her not to waste her youth.
Duke Hiro didn't move out from the scene but watched from the side. He is clenching his hand and ready to punish those who bully his niece, but he can't just do it. His niece needs to establish herself in the army to be fully recognized by the soldiers. If he helps her, then she will not have a real identity as a soldier. She needs to figure it out by herself.
"I am very thankful and very honored for your care, but I always wanted to become a soldier. I will not be an exception to everything. I will do what a soldier should do. I won't complain. I may not be excellent today, but I will someday." Amishta bowed her head.
The soldiers are not very convinced about her, but they are still soldiers; thus, bullying a young girl is not something they wanted to do. They will just take her as an amusement and see her achievement along the way.
"Then, good luck. I hope you will do as you said. Remember, even if the general brought you here, it doesn't mean you are already a soldier. You are just a trainee. After 3 days, there will be an assessment of the trainees who will successfully enter as soldiers. It will not be easy. These 3 days will also give you time to think about your decision."
The captain was quite impressed with Amishta's determination, though it annoyed him that he got rejected twice. He observed Amishta's bearing and could sense that she was not from an ordinary family.
The General always brings a new person to the camp, but all of them are not ordinary. They always bring themselves to the top, and one of them is him. He noticed how peculiar the general's attitude was to the girl, so even if the girl will not become a soldier one day, she might be someone else in the future.
"Thank you, sir."
"Now, get back to your positions. The training will continue. You, young girl, go insert yourself at the end to observe the steps and try to follow them by yourself."
"Amishta, that is my name."
"Alright. Since that young man spoke for you a while ago, then ask him for his guidance, as he entered earlier than you. He might not be good enough, but since you are a beginner, he can still teach you some basics."
"Yes, sir, and sir, my name is Marco." Marco smiled widely, and the captain just nodded. The soldiers then aligned themselves and practiced swordsmanship.
Marco gets him and Amishta a sword. Amishta thought the sword was a little bit heavy, but she didn't complain. Marco saw the changes in Amishta's face and scratched his head.
"I overestimate you. I am sorry. I thought that since you joined the army, then you should at least have the strength to hold a sword. Give it to me; I will just change it and choose a lighter one for you." Marco stretched his hands and prepared to get the sword, but Amishta dodged him.
"It is fine. Thank you. I will need to practice with such heavy swords either way, so why not just practice today?" Amishta expresses gratitude from her heart. Though she was not sure about it, she needed to try, or better yet, she must do it for her goal.
"You are really brave for a young girl."
"Why are you helping me?"
"I can see my big sister in you. I saw the same determination in her eyes when she started to be a disciple of martial arts."
"Where is she now?"
"She died because she saved me." Marco closed his eyes and clenched his fist. He felt a tap on his back and opened his eyes.
"Sorry."
"Well, since you are just like her, then can you just be my little sister? I will protect you. I promise," Marco sincerely asked. Amishta liked Marco since he was very honest and sincere. Since he was the first one to make her feel comfortable in this camp, she already was grateful to him.
"Then, brother, please teach me," Amishta playfully stated, and Marco vigorously nodded.
The training ground was full of vigor as all soldiers were practicing and synchronizing every step. Though beginners were still learning, they tried to keep up with the veterans. As they trained, they secretly observed Amishta at the back. They were surprised as she could easily follow the steps, but the exhaustion was obvious on her face.
The captain looked at Amishta, who was covered in sweat all over her body. He secretly hoped that Amishta could really succeed. It was still a good start for Amishta since she never trained before, but it was also his worry that Amishta may take a lot of time before becoming a real warrior.
They are soldiers, and even if they are just beginners, if war is in front of them, then they have no choice but to go to war. No matter how determined Amishta was, if she died in the midst of the war, then there was no chance to repent.
"Can you still manage to continue?" Marco asked worriedly. He mentally cursed himself for giving a big sword to Amishta. He never considers that the girl in front of him is quite thin and perhaps pampered her whole life.
"I can still continue. Don't mind me." Amishta talked slowly but calmly. She is persisting to finish it because once she gives up on her first day of training, the soldiers will even mock her, and her uncle's reputation can be ruined because of her. They expect her uncle's choice to be with a reason, and she needs to prove it to them.
Amishta's body was shaking, and the captain noticed it. Even if he was quite bad at the beginning, he still found Amishta adorable and thought of her as if she were his daughter. He pretended to have a headache and stopped the training before Amishta could collapse.