Virtus’ pov

If anyone had asked Virtus previously what the most important traits a man could have, he would have responded that they were loyalty and duty. Oh how he wished to return to those days. Recent events had shattered his idyllic palace of virtue and service. The true fruits of his efforts, now finally exposed to the cold light of day. All of that change stemmed from one man, Jack.

It all started the day he decided to join the legions. It was a cool autumn day that he received his academy diploma at the tender age of 16. They called him a prodigy. It was considered inevitable that he would reenter the university section for his Mastery. His father told everyone he could find about it.

Then he enlisted. It wasn’t like he had kept it a secret. All his life, whenever anyone asked what he wanted to do when he grew up, he told them that he would serve the Empire. Only, whenever his father heard those words, it was in one ear and out the other. He didn’t even acknowledge it!

Months passed as he went about adjusting to army life. It was like a dream come true. He could finally live life as himself, his surname discarded. His fellow soldiers shared their struggles and triumphs, opening a door to a life that had been obscured by his birthright.

A call came from the border, the cultivators were raiding Ferrumhold. His home was under attack! After his legion rushed over to assist, Virtus stood on the frontlines, tearing through the enemy horde with reckless abandon.

The fight was vicious and costly and most of his squadmates perished, but that wasn’t the end. He had been unmasked during the battle and dragged kicking and screaming back into the fold. They burdened him with medals and accolades while telling him that he had made the family proud and could retire now. Retire!

All was bleak until the imperial princess herself came to him in his grief and despair. She offered him a position in the imperial honor guard, the highest of stations a soldier could reach. He protested, of course, but Laura could not be denied for long. She took him to Eternity and placed him in the orphan ward. On his first day, he discovered that only the lowest slimebags were assigned to the post. For two weeks he patrolled a crumbling city populated by the least, the last and the broken. Every moment was torture.

Then Lord Pomp, an idiot he had the dubious pleasure of guarding, came down for an ‘inspection’. It was much to his surprise that he was handed a picture and informed that the Adjudicator had been summoned. The rest just flowed naturally. Laura had reassigned him to the slumbering avatar of Justice and asked him about his stint in the ward. Remembering just what came out of his mouth still embarrassed him. He must have said something right though because she was smiling from ear to ear.

He had been inducted into the resistance. So far the only members he knew were Laura and Felix, but doubted that the tavern owner had been informed. He suspected that Lillian was playing her own game.

…

Virtus reached down and steadied his wobbly charge. Jack was swaying drunkenly back and forth. His face was flushed and he had a glassy-eyed look that meant that he was in a trance state. With a heave, he picked Jack up in a princess carry and placed him on the crafting table. The professor came to check up on them. A simple statement of assurance was all that it took to send the crafting professor away.

Minutes passed as Jack sat on the table and started out into space. Finally, he blinked and seemed to take in his surroundings. “What’s going on?” Then his face lit up in recognition as his brain caught up with his perception. “How long has it been?”

Virtus turned on his Mana Sight. It was one of the first spells any Magi used. It could be used by anyone regardless of affinity, though some we're better than others. Virtus’ Mana Sight, or more specifically Ferrous Gaze, was designed to sense metal and sources of mana. Jack looked as he normally did now. A small fire in his core that sent little wisps of crimson out like embers whenever anyone walked by. That was the main reason they were trying to tamp down on the number of people that had immediate access to the intrepid Adjudicator. The results were mixed.

The only side effect anyone had after coming in contact with the embers was a sense of peace and increased energy. Jack didn’t need to know about this yet. Not until they had a better idea of what they were working with.