The daylight hours were starting to wane as Mark sat inside his room, looking through his Game System, searching for the answers to his plight. He had a decent amount saved up now at 180, so he could afford to buy some nice things.

  Only, he was looking for something specific to help him with the upcoming conversation. It's been approximately one week since Tanya had been over for their training session and tomorrow they were slated for another one. That in itself wasn't the problem. The issue lies in convincing his mother to allow him to attend the Cadet Academy with her.

  Initially his desire had been to put it off and enjoy his early years as normally as possible. Being an adult trapped in the body of a child made that relative, he supposed, but he had no intention of becoming a soldier before he had to.

  And then he met Being X. While he knew war was inevitable, the timing of it he hoped was in the distant future, when he was either an adult or at least suffering in the throes of puberty. But that future seemed unlikely, given how eager that thing was to enact some kind of punishment on them.

  As a human being who believed in individual rights and freedoms, he disliked the notion of being punished for a crime he didn't commit. Or perhaps he did commit the crime of blasphemy a time or two, but still, the crime and the punishment weren't congruent.

  Cruel and unusual punishment was illegal by human standards. At least the ones with some semblance of morals. Not like the communists who punished something as insane as thought crime with a trip to the gulag.

  Somehow, Mark didn't think those gods would be opposed to something like that. Hell, isn't that why they were here in the first place? For thinking the wrong thing? Yes, it seemed to Markus that these higher beings, aliens, were quite fond of communism. It explained why they couldn't be reasoned with.

  Regardless of their unfairness and possible insanity, that didn't change his reality. There was no use bemoaning his fate. Far better to prepare as best he could, which unfortunately meant an earlier than desired military education. And to get that, he must convince his mother of it.

  He was hoping to find a Talent or something that would aid in his ability to speak, and he had a few options to choose from, such as Smooth Talker, which made his words more appealing. A decent choice, though with a cost of only 50 Points, he doubted its effectiveness.

  Next was Orator, a Perk that made his speeches more engaging. While an option, it was primarily geared towards crowds, so not optimal. Perhaps if he ever wished to be a politician he would grab it, but that was a cesspool he wasn't prepared to enter just yet.

  Finally there was Preacher. This would allow him to give better sermons and attract followers to a faith. This had all kinds of problems as he had no desire to praise those creatures responsible for his situation nor did he intend to start a cult.

  Although, a cult dedicated to the eradication of the gods did sound appealing. It was an idea, but one he would shelve for the time being.

  Out of those three, the first one was the most likely to aid him. Beyond that, there were Talents that could aid him, such as Persuasion, Deception, Leadership, and Public Speaking. All useful in their own way.

  Persuasion, Deception and Public Speaking were fairly self explanatory and did essentially what their name suggested. Persuasion helped him convince people of the truth, Deception helped him lie, and Public Speaking made it easier to speak to a crowd. All decent things to have.

  But Leadership was not so self-evident. It did help him lead a group of people, made them want to follow orders, but there was another factor to the talent. It didn't just help him to guide people, it also aided him in developing a vision, increased his competence while leading people and increased the morale of those he was leading. It was a multifaceted Talent, one that he was determined to cultivate.

  So, if he were to purchase Smooth Talker, increase Leadership to Tier: 2 and Persuasion to Tier: 2, it would cost him 110 points, leaving him with 70 remaining. There was another Perk he was looking at that increased the effectiveness of training that he was deeply considering as well, but that cost 150 Points, so he would have to save them up.

  Toughness, of course, appealed to him as well, as it increased his Health, whatever that meant, and reduced fatigue. That, combined with Excellent Exercise, the aforementioned Perk, would allow him to scale up his effective training strategy. Expensive, but highly tempting.

  Hesitating slightly, he steeled his resolve and made the purchase. It wasn't that he thought it would be a waste buying them, as they were useful and would likely be a big help in the future, but they weren't part of his initial plans. Although, perhaps being able to convince the higher ups of certain things would be a good thing.

  Too bad he doubted those damn gods would allow him such a convenient luxury. After all, didn't God harden the pharaoh's heart? What's to stop them from doing the exact same thing here, no matter how convincing he was? Mark doubted his skills in persuasion would ever outsrip the aliens' ability to peddle their influence to his superiors, especially if that ability came from them in the first place.

  Why would they ever give him the power to supplant them? He wouldn't, so he doubted they would be so short sighted as to provide the means of their demise. But a man can dream, can't he?

  Cult leader was seeming more and more appealing by the minute. Best he stop thinking about those things lest he make a poor decision.

  Letting the screen that only he could see fade into the ether, or wherever it goes when not in use, Mark smelled the familiar scent of his mother's cooking. If he remembered correctly, and he did thanks to his Perk, Photographic Memory, she was making a hearty stew tonight. While not his favorite, it certainly smelled appetizing.

  His father was home as well. After the… incident the week prior, his father was given medical leave, not that he truly needed it after being healed by his son. That being said, Captain V?lkner apparently had what one might call, loose lips. It didn't take long for the gossip to reach every corner of the military.

  So Frank decided to take the offered leave, mostly so he wouldn't have to face his colleagues. Once the incident was done and over with, Joanna found the whole thing highly amusing. She was rather cross for a time, considering the accident happened while they were engaged in marital affairs, but she had since gotten over it.

  Even if she did ground him, Markus was glad all's well that ends well. Now, all he had to do was prepare what he was going to say. How hard could that be?

  Down in the kitchen Joanna hummed happily as she stood over a large pot, stirring the bubbling contents. Raising the ladle to her lips, she gave it a little taste before nodding in satisfaction.

  "Perfect. Honey!" she shouted, getting her husband to look up from the paper he was reading. "Can you go get Mark while I set the table?"

  "Sure, no problem," he said, giving his wife a smile. Placing the paper down, he made his way up the stairs. Over the creaks and groans of the wood he heard a curious noise. It sounded like Mark, but who could he be talking to? Could it be that Tanya girl in some sort of reverse Romeo and Juliet?

  As soon the thought entered his mind he shook it away. There was no way that overly serious girl would sneak out of the orphanage and walk several miles through the cold to engage in some sort of illicit romance. They were children for goodness sake! His wife's paranoia must be getting to him.

  Tip toeing to the door, he listened to what his son was saying.

  "As you can see from the graph, there has been a clear uptick in insurgent activity around the Empire's borders. Furthermore, as I'm sure father is well aware, pirate activity has also been on the rise, leading to a loss of merchant ships and causing a small economic downturn."

  He understood the words being said, but not why he was saying them. There have been a few skirmishes along the border with the Republic over some contested land, but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. And pirates have always been a pain in the ass, though he hasn't spoken up about it with him. Not in any great detail at any rate.

  Could it have been V?lkner? Perhaps, but he knows better than to speak of sensitive information regarding ongoing military operations. Zettour and Rudersdorf were options, though even less likely than V?lkner. And that thing he said about the economy wasn't something Frank was even aware of. He doesn't pay much attention to the markets.

  So how did his 6 year old son learn of it?

  Listening for a few more moments, he heard Mark start to argue with himself over a certain point, saying that wasn't convincing enough. Convincing for what though? Needing answers, Frank gently opened the door, only to see his son with various papers set up like he was giving a presentation.

  Now he was really curious.

  "Hey son. What are you up to?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Hearing the intruder, Mark swiveled his head, relaxing only when he realized he wasn't about to be burgled.

  "Father, you startled me. I was simply practicing," Mark said, getting a raised eyebrow from the man. Had Mark been a normal boy, Frank might have assumed he was rehearsing an apology for stabbing him in the butt, something he had already apologized for.

  Besides, Frank thought it apology enough when he was forced to place his hands on his fathers naked rump to heal him while getting chewed out by his mother for showing off to Tanya. It was mortifying for the both of them. Frank was more than willing to forgive and forget the incident ever happened.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Here's hoping his compatriots in the military agreed, but he somehow doubted it. He was sure to be the butt of many a joke in the coming months, pun intended.

  "Practicing for what exactly?" Frank asked, picking up a sheet of paper. It contained a list of various political maneuvers within foreign countries and a short summary of the effect these could have on the Empire, from economic concerns to military ones.

  Seeing it laid out like this was somewhat troubling. He'd have to check in with intelligence to verify a few things.

  "I'm hoping to convince mother of the necessity of allowing my entrance into the Cadet Academy next semester," Mark replied, sounding as sure as he could be on the topic.

  His answer caused the other brow to raise, staring at his son in bewilderment. The subject had come up before, of course, as soon as the regulations were changed. At the time, Mark had stated, rather firmly, that he had no intention of joining the military until he had too. So what could have changed? To Frank, the papers in the room along with whatever they said, no matter the accuracy, was merely a cover. There was only one reason he could logic out that would make his son change his mind.

  "Does this necessity include a certain blonde haired girl?" Frank asked. He knew the two of them got along about as well as fish and water, but he didn't think they were so close that Mark wished to enter service with her.

  Perhaps his wife had reason to worry after all?

  "I… can't say it doesn't. But such an admission isn't likely to help my cause. It's only one facet of my decision. I'm hoping to convince her with pure logic and reasoning," Mark said.

  "Is that right? You know, there's something you might be forgetting about," Frank mentioned, placing the paper back down on the table. Mark furrowed his brows and tilted his head, a clear sign of confusion.

  "What's that? I'm sure I have sufficient evidence to advocate the necessity of my decision," Mark asked, looking through his papers, wondering if his father had truly seen something he did not.

  "Perhaps. But you seem to be under the impression you only need to convince your mother. In case you've forgotten, you have TWO parents. Or perhaps you really were trying to assassinate me," Frank responded.

  That brought Mark up short. Truthfully, he didn't believe his father would be difficult to convince. The cold hard facts should be enough, but maybe he misread the man. Could he actually be the more difficult of the two?

  "It's not that I did not discount you father, it's just… mother has been the most vehement against me joining the military. I assumed you to be the more rational of the two and would actually listen to what I have to say," Mark replied after a moment of consideration.

  Frank nodded, having expected that reaction. He was the more laid back of the two, especially in that regard. But that didn't mean he wasn't concerned about his prepubescent son joining the army.

  "Come with me," Frank said, walking out of the room. Confused but curious, Mark did just that, following his father into his room.

  "Sit down," Frank said, gesturing to the bed. Doing as his father ordered, Mark watched as he picked up a photo from on top of the dresser. He stared at it for a moment, and Mark could see his forlorn expression in the mirror hanging just above the dresser.

  Frank turned around, face set in a careful mask of indifference. Having not seen his father with such an expression, he could only assume this was his military face, the one that hid whatever emotions he was truly feeling.

  "Listen Mark," Frank started, sitting down on the bed. "I know I might come across as the laid back type, but don't think for a second that means I'm stupid or unaware. The army is a dangerous profession, and while I know it's inevitable that you'll join, your magic made sure of that, that doesn't mean I'm eager to see you go."

  "Do you see these people?" Frank asked, holding out the picture. Mark could only nod. It depicted what looked like a much younger Frank Adler with several other men, all dressed in military fatigues.

  "These men were all part of my unit back when I received my first commission. All of us were assigned to the same vessel, the S.S Sieger, named for the first Admiral of the Imperial Navy, Wilhelm von Sieger. That was his vessel, the one he designed from top to bottom," Frank explained, looking at the picture with a soft, melancholic smile.

  Mark had a sneaking suspicion about what that look meant.

  "What happened to them?" he asked quietly. His father's expression turned blank once more as he took in a deep breath.

  "Dead. Went down with the ship. Some damn rebels hijacked a merchant vessel and loaded it with explosives. Pretended to have been attacked by pirates and asked for an escort. Had all the right numbers and everything. They didn't even realize what was happening until it went boom."

  "How did you survive?" Mark asked, taken in by the story. It wasn't just the words, but the emotion he could hear behind it. His father may have been trying to put up a brave front, but he couldn't help but let out some of the sorrow he felt. The grief of having lost his comrades.

  "I was ashore. Had caught a nasty bug and was sent to the hospital. I may have been puking my guts out, but that's better than drawing I suppose. Lucky me," he said, grin turning sardonic.

  "I always thought, maybe if I was there I could have done something. Maybe my friends wouldn't be dead. Or maybe I'd be a bloated corpse right along with them. Who knows," he said, placing the picture face down on the bed.

  Seeing the distraught man, his father, in such a state caused an unknown feeling to form inside his chest, doing its best to punch its way out. He wasn't sure exactly what the feeling was besides a general empathy, but he knew he didn't like it. So, he did the first thing that came to mind.

  He hugged him.

  Surprised by the show of affection, Frank smiled and returned the gesture. After a few moments, the two released their hold on one another, and Frank stared directly into his son's eyes.

  "What ifs are the hardest questions of all, son. Never forget that."

  The two of them sat in silence for a bit before Frank pulled back, giving his son a grateful smile. Who knew he was still capable of showing such overt emotion? Judging by his embarrassed smile, Mark wasn't aware of it either.

  It made Frank happy to know that there was still some humanity left inside of his son. He'd been so cold and distant since waking up, always keeping them an arm's distance apart, so it was nice to know that some part of him cared.

  "Look son, I understand you wanting to keep you little girlfriend safe," Frank started to say, only for Mark to interrupt him.

  "She's not my girlfriend, father. Please stop listening to mother's outlandish conspiracy theories."

  "Uh huh. I've seen you two together. If you two don't end up hitched I'll eat my own shoes," his father replied, disbelief clear in his tone.

  "As long as they're made out of leather they should be technically edible. Just make sure you boil them first to soften them up."

  Frank chuckled at his son's denial. He'll understand someday.

  "If you say so. Regardless, you care for her and wish to keep her safe. I understand that. But this is a big step you're talking about son. Bigger than I think either of you realize. Now I can't do anything about her enrollment, but I can do something about yours."

  Hearing this, Mark clenched his fists. His father just didn't understand the circumstances and there was little he could do to rectify that. How were you supposed to tell someone that a being claiming to be god and his buddies want to throw the world into chaos to force the subservience of human individuality?

  Two humans in particular, him and Tanya. There was no way to broach the subject without sounding like a loon. That's why he wanted to rely on good old fashioned reason and logic to make the argument for him.

  He believed his mother to be the primary hurdle he must overcome, but it seems as if he was mistaken. He had two hurdles of equal height to jump over. Still, there wasn't much he could do but stay the course and hope those Talents he upgraded and the Perk pushed him over the edge.

  Otherwise, he may find himself embroiled in a worldwide conflict with subpar training. Should the need for men become dire, conscription will increase and training time will decrease, pushing out soldiers of a far less quality than peacetime would demand.

  "That being said, I'm willing to hear you out," Frank said, making Mark look up at him in surprise. Seeing his expression made the older man chuckle, messing up his son's hair. Mark tried to shoo the offending hand away, giving Frank an annoyed look, which only amused him more.

  "You're smart Markus. Smarter than your old man, and you're only 6 years old. I suspect this isn't a decision you made on a whim, so I'll listen to what you have to say. I'll make sure your mother does the same, alright?"

  "That's all I ask," Mark replied after fixing his hair to the best of his ability.

  "Good. Now, let's get down for dinner before your mother comes looking for us," Frank said, standing up. He returned the picture to the dresser before leaving the room. Mark took one last look at it before following.

  The Adler family was in for a long night.

  Stepping out of the military vehicle, Tanya stared at the large home belonging to the Adlers. Today marked another day of grueling exercises that would no doubt leave her sore and questioning her sanity. Even if Mark could heal her to some extent, she would still be in pain for a few days.

  And Tanya did not like being in pain.

  Speaking of Mark, she watched as he exited said large home, a carefree, relieved look on his face. Curious as to what caused his countenance, considering what was about to happen and the days of torment that would follow, she approached.

  "What has you in such a good mood?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest and giving him a suspicious look. He returned her look with a smile, uncaring of her apparent wariness.

  "Let's just say you'll be getting a classmate next semester," he replied. It took a moment before his words registered in her mind, but when they did, her eyes widened in realization.

  "I take that to mean you spoke with your parents then?" she asked. It was about this time that Captain V?lkner approached, giving Mark an easy smile in greeting.

  "I did indeed. It was… rough, to say the least. But I managed to convince them after hours of arguing to allow my enrollment come fall," he said, a hint of pride in his tone. Last night had been rather harrowing, all things considered. After his talk with his father and subsequent dinner came the arduous task of convincing them to allow his enrolment into the Cadet Academy.

  In the end, he had to rely on more than pure logic and reason. It came down to convincing his mother of the impending war, backed up by facts and figures that even the staunchest of deniers couldn't argue against. From there, he informed her that if the war dragged on, he would likely be conscripted against his will, and if that happened, the training he would receive would not only be accelerated, but of a lesser quality than the volunteers.

  Should that happen, his chances of survival would diminish greatly. Better to get the appropriate training now before it was too late. That would give him the best chances of making it out alive.

  It was a bit scummy, he had to admit, telling her that her desire to keep him safe and near would only increase the chances of him meeting an early grave. Still, it was what made her actually consider the idea as opposed to rejecting it outright. Same with his father.

  The icing on the cake was that they were unlikely to deploy a child to the battlefield anytime soon, most likely using him as a propaganda tool. It would be a far better use of his person than sticking a gun in his hand, at least until he was a bit older.

  Add in the fact that he wished to enter Research and Development, meaning he would still be quite close was the final straw to her very, VERY, reluctant agreement. If it wasn't for his Talents and Perk he purchased, he doubted he would have been able to convince his father, let alone his overprotective mother.

  It was a bit awkward when she mentioned him entering at the same time as Tanya and he was certain he heard the word "floozy" mumbled under her breath, but he was able to navigate his way through it without stepping on too many landmines.

  His father was no help in that regard, merely watching with amusement.

  Although, even with the mumbled name calling, she seemed almost, dare he say it, happy that he was entering with her. Probably because she was glad that he would have someone he knew to watch his back, even if that someone was a homewrecker.

  "Is that so? Hard to believe you pulled it off. I thought for sure your mother would end up bunkering down and fighting off the whole damn army to keep you away," Otto said, making Mark sigh at how accurate of an assessment that was.

  "She may have threatened to stab a few people," Mark admitted, getting a chuckle from the man and a look of mirth from Tanya. He had a sneaky suspicion the next school year was going to be something else.

  "Now that sounds more like her. However, now that it's official, I won't be holding back. I'll make sure the two of you are ready, so I expect 110%, got it?" Otto asked, his tone shifting from his usual, easy going one to drill sergeant in a heartbeat. Hearing it, the two children couldn't help but snap to attention, giving the man a crisp salute.

  "Sir, yes sir!"

  "Good. Then let's get started."