Shattered Sanity

(Meanwhile, Inside One Of The House Argent Dormitories, Circuit Miles’s POV)

*Cough* *Cough*

Circuit Miles coughed a mouthful of blood mixed with phlegm into his handkerchief, as he looked down towards the crimson stains with complicated emotions filling his eyes.

Even after all these years, seeing blood leave his lungs remained an unpleasant sight, although the fear that once accompanied it had long since disappeared.

’..... There is a strange disease clinging to his respiratory tract, my Lord. I’m afraid this boy will never grow physically strong because of it.’

Circuit remembered those words clearly, as they were merely one variation of the same conclusion countless physicians had delivered throughout his childhood.

His father had refused to accept the diagnosis initially.

House Miles possessed money, influence and connections, and although none of those advantages could compare with what the great noble families commanded, they were sufficient to summon accomplished physicians from across the Empire.

One after another, they examined Circuit.

Some prescribed medicines.

Others recommended expensive herbs, specialized diets, breathing exercises, warmer climates or carefully controlled physical training intended to gradually strengthen his lungs.

And although Circuit tried everything, in the end, he could only manage the symptoms while the core problem still remained.

’He can live a normal life, my Lord, but I fear he will never quite grow to become physically strong....’

The finest physician in all of Valdrak eventually concluded after examining him, as the diagnosis left Circuit’s father absolutely devastated.

For most noble families, such a diagnosis would have represented an enormous disappointment, especially when Circuit happened to be born into a family whose entire noble history had begun through military strength.

His grandfather had not been born with the name of a noble house behind him.

Only a few decades ago, there had been no House Miles whatsoever.

However, his grandfather had been a distinguished soldier within the Imperial Army, rising from an ordinary infantryman to Legion Commander through years of warfare before eventually being awarded land and a noble title for his service.

”I started this House, but it is the next generation that must take it to new heights....”

His grandfather had told his father before he entered the Academy, as his father eventually graduated successfully and became Baron of a minor territory plagued by constant border disputes.

It was hardly a desirable territory, as banditry, smuggling and countless other illegal businesses had flourished there for generations.

And yet, his father somehow succeeded where previous administrators had failed.

He reorganized patrol routes, replaced corrupt officials, offered pardons to useful criminals and turned competing groups against one another, while gradually making legal commerce more profitable than operating outside Imperial law.

Over the years, banditry declined, trade increased and tax revenues improved, as the territory nobody had wanted gradually became one of the greatest accomplishments attached to his father’s name.

Circuit had always admired his father for that.

Because although it had been his grandfather who earned House Miles its nobility, it had been his father who transformed that noble title into a lasting legacy.

A legacy that, much to his father’s pride, had been carried forward by Harris Miles, Circuit’s elder brother, who was one of the most talented recruits to have passed through the Imperial Academy in recent years.

Circuit had spent most of his childhood looking towards Harris as the obvious standard he was supposed to follow.

However, unfortunately for him, his body had other plans.

*Cough*

Circuit covered his mouth again as another smaller cough escaped him, although thankfully, no additional blood appeared upon the handkerchief.

He folded it carefully before placing it beside him.

Strangely enough, his father had never made Circuit feel ashamed of his condition.

There had been disappointment, certainly, although most of that disappointment had been directed towards the circumstances rather than Circuit himself.

Once his father finally accepted that no physician was going to magically transform his younger son into another Harris, he simply changed the manner in which Circuit was educated.

If his son’s body could not become exceptional, then something else would.

Circuit still remembered the first military map his father placed before him.

He had been considerably younger then, sitting opposite his father while dozens of wooden pieces represented soldiers positioned throughout a fictional battlefield.

”Your army has eight thousand men.”

His father explained.

”The enemy possesses twelve thousand. They also have more cavalry than you, while reinforcements will reach them within seven days. What do you do?”

Circuit had stared at the board for nearly ten minutes before eventually proposing an attack.

His father destroyed his plan within thirty seconds.

Then reset the board.

”Again.”

That became increasingly common throughout Circuit’s childhood.

Military tactics came first.

Then logistics.

Administration followed.

His father taught him how food moved through an army, how taxation influenced migration, how geography determined commerce and why controlling a bridge could sometimes matter considerably more than controlling several hundred additional soldiers.

He learned mathematics and accounting.

He studied political history, noble genealogies, territorial disputes and famous negotiations that had changed Imperial borders without either side ever drawing a sword.

His father regularly presented him with problems without providing enough information to solve them comfortably.

When Circuit complained, his father simply reminded him that administrators rarely received perfect information before making important decisions.

Sometimes Harris participated as well.

Those were Circuit’s favorite lessons.

His elder brother approached problems differently, possessing considerably more practical knowledge regarding combat and Ascension, while Circuit increasingly found himself noticing patterns Harris overlooked.

Over time, something became apparent.

Circuit might never become the strongest member of House Miles.

But perhaps he did not need to.

His father certainly stopped behaving as though he did.

Instead, he poured increasingly greater attention into developing whatever abilities Circuit actually possessed, until the sickly child who struggled through physical exercises could spend entire evenings examining territorial reports without becoming bored.

By the time Circuit received his Imperial Academy admission, his family was proud.

His father never pretended the Academy would be easy for him, however, thankfully for him, Harris knew exactly how his younger brother could make it through.

”Listen carefully to me, Circuit.”

Harris said, as the brothers sat together for what would become their final private conversation before Circuit left home.

”The Academy is going to expose your weakness very quickly.”

Harris warned as Circuit smiled bitterly.

”Everyone begins relatively equal during the opening days because nobody has established themselves yet. But once classes begin, once the training sessions become serious and once House competition starts, people will understand very quickly who can fight and who cannot.

And if they see you wheezing and coughing while rolling on the floor during morning jogs, I’m pretty sure that you’re going to become the target for many to stomp down on.”

His expression hardened.

”I know that given an opportunity you can pass the academy with your wits.

But most won’t give you that opportunity.

Not when they feel you are someone they can bully easily.....”

Harris warned as his eyes hardened.

”So what do you suggest?”

Circuit eventually asked, as Harris let out a long breath before continuing.

”Before the house draft ends, find someone strong to protect you.

Not merely physically strong.

I need you to find someone important within your House, preferably somebody whose position will make other students think twice before causing trouble with anyone associated with him.”

Circuit frowned.

”And ask him to protect me?”

”No.”

Harris replied.

”Never approach someone powerful and ask them to carry your weakness for free.”

Those words remained particularly clear within Circuit’s memory.

”Find something he needs.”

Harris continued.

”Make yourself useful enough that keeping you around becomes advantageous. If you can accomplish that, protection stops being charity and becomes an exchange.”

Their father, who had been listening nearby, nodded approvingly.

”Your brother is right.”

He said.

”You don’t need twenty powerful friends, Circuit. You need one good ally whose strengths compensate for your weaknesses, while ensuring that your strengths compensate for his.”

Circuit remembered looking between them.

”And how exactly am I supposed to identify this person?”

His father smiled.

”That is precisely what I’ve spent all these years teaching you to do.”

---

Circuit slowly returned his attention towards the House Argent dormitory.

Several hours had passed since the Draft concluded, yet he had spent most of that time alone within his newly assigned quarters, thinking carefully about the advice his father and brother had given him.

He needed to find someone strong..... someone important.... Someone who possessed what he lacked.

And then determine whether he possessed something valuable enough to offer in return.

Initially, he had considered several possibilities.

House Argent possessed plenty of talented First Years.

Some had exceptional elemental affinities.

Others had strong family backgrounds or impressive physical assessments.

Circuit had quietly observed several of them since entering the Argent compound, paying particular attention towards those selected within the earliest rounds.

But the longer he considered his options, the more unnecessary the entire exercise became.

Because one candidate stood so far above the others that comparing them increasingly felt pointless.

Riven Dawnriver.

Circuit leaned backwards against his chair.

The name alone carried more political weight than almost every other First Year inside Argent combined.

Dawnriver.

One of the Four Great Ducal Houses.

Future ruler of the East.

Second overall selection of the Imperial Academy House Draft.

A perfect 4.0 evaluation.

And according to the conversations Circuit had overheard from Second Years, an absurd physical assessment accompanying everything else.

Riven possessed almost everything Circuit lacked.

Strength.

Physical potential.

Status.

Authority.

The ability to intimidate someone simply through the family name attached to him.

If Circuit became closely associated with Riven Dawnriver, very few intelligent First Years would casually choose him as an easy target simply because his body happened to be weak.

But that alone was not enough.

Harris’s warning returned immediately.

’Never approach someone powerful and ask them to carry your weakness for free.’

Circuit’s fingers slowly tapped against the wooden desk.

He needed to offer something to Riven that he lacked.

Something that would solidify their relationship before the training sessions began.

And so, after wiping the last traces of blood from his face, he stood up and walked out of the dorm, trying to gather information on something..... anything that would make him a valuable asset in Riven’s eyes.