A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor
Chapter 1351 - 1351: Tainted Chalices - Part 8

"Yes, I had heard," Hod said. "And your words do not wound me, Skullic. I can achieve far more from a distance than you can in person. Why do you suppose I have brought Volguard with me?"

"I assume he is attending to see one of his students rewarded for his great deeds," Skullic said, momentarily suspicious.

"Well, there is truth in that too," Volguard volunteered. "I do, however, find the Academy to grow increasingly wearisome for me, just as you once did, General Skullic. I thought I might spread my wings for a while, and see what the rest of the word has to offer."

"I am sending him to see that the Patrick boy's education in strategy does not find itself halted," Hod said.

"…There's that too," Volguard said bashfully. It sounded far less like he was spreading his wings, and far more like he was carrying out exactly the task that he was ordered to.

"You could do with wiser counsel, could you not?" Hod said, turning to Oliver. "You have bothered me with questions in your letters. You should not need to wait for a bird to fly and then return to discuss such rudimentary ideas. Nor should I need to spend my time giving reply to them.

Volguard once praised you as one of the finest students that he's had the privilege of teaching strategy to – and yet, the Generals you serve under complain that your strategy is forever lacking. Quite the contradiction, is it not?"

"…A contradiction indeed," Oliver agreed. "However, it is not as though I am able to present myself properly on the Battle board either. I've never been a match for Skullic, or for Volguard. , so I wonder if that praise is not a bit too high for me."

"Professor," Hod said, prodding at him to do some explaining.

"Well… I would agree. On the Battle board, I have had quite a few students that have been superior to you. But your conceptual ability might be unrivalled. When I present with you a novel situation, without a Battle board in mind, and I ask you to find the solution, you have rarely had issue.

Many of your solutions have included the derivations of tactics that I would have had other students simply memorize," Volguard said. "It is enough to interest me, as a teacher, at least. At the very least, I would like to see you move forward, beyond what you currently are.

It does bother me to a degree, to hear your strategy mentioned so sorely as a weak point, when I know there to be a strength to it. It would mean my failing as a teacher."

"Indeed it does," Hod said. "So you have heard him. Volguard failed you as a teacher, and now he will make up for it. He will return to your village with you, and see you taught. And we shall see this problem of yours rectified. If a weakness is easily identifiable, it ought to be addressed.

I trust you take no issues with it, Ser Patrick?"

"…Well, no," Oliver said. "It would be an honour to have the advice of the Professor so freely available. But what has General Tavar said about this? Surely he isn't happy that you're stealing away one of his best teachers for me?"

"I told Tavar," Hod said. "He grunted in reply. I assume that means he approves."

"…You told him?" Oliver said. "You didn't ask him?"

"Why would I?" Hod said, not understanding. Oliver heaved a sigh. It was another glimpse into the relationship that General Tavar found so exhausting to maintain. It seemed quite clear that Hod only recognized Tavar's position as a leader when it was convenient for him to do so.

"I don't think he realized what you were saying. When he finds out, he's going to be angry," Oliver warned.

Hod shrugged. "The man gets angry about near enough everything. I told him just yesterday that I would be borrowing his crow for some messages that I needed sent. He turned his room upside down. Much like Skullic does. Very childish, if you ask me."

"In his defence, you had taken all his other crows as well," Volguard said. "And you refuse to get any crows of your own."

"Why should I, when he has perfectly good crows that I can borrow?" Hod said.

"He was saving that last crow to send a message to his wife, if you recall," Volguard said. "And you only told him that you had borrowed it after you had already sent the message. I can quite understand his anger."

"I fail to see it," Hod said.

"…Maybe Tavar would be happier if you were the one getting sent away," Skullic said. His anger had leaked out of him in the form of sympathy, as he quickly realized that there was a man that had it far worse than him in dealing with Hod.

"I do think not," Hod said. "He needs someone to do his thinking for him. He is so busy making a mess of his room that someone with the slightest amount of wit needs to do his work elsewhere. The other Pillars are dolts as well."

"I see you have high estimations of your worth," Skullic said.

"Accurate estimations of my worth," Hod replied. "Unlike you and Tavar, I am capable of distancing my emotions far enough that I can evaluate things objectively."

"Maybe you ought to bring those emotions back into the evaluation to a degree," Oliver suggested. "From the sounds of it, you're causing the people around you all sorts of trouble."

"If there has been trouble, then I have failed to notice it," Hod said, as if to declare it as an impossibility, but from the heaved sighs of those around him, he only further highlighted the issue.

"I think that's exactly the problem, Minister," Oliver said.

"Well, no matter. This discussion has become aimless. I leave you with Professor Volguard. I offer you congratulations. I now make my return. There are other matters that require my attention," Hod said.

Then he was away, rather like a storm, without even saying a word of goodbye to the Professor that he had so unceremoniously dropped off.