Trust in Me

 It’s an inherent part of human nature to equate age with experience and skill. People are far more likely to respect a teacher in his late forties than one in his thirties. This may have nothing to do with actual knowledge and talent, but occurs because of the in-built belief that a person who has lived longer and experienced more is bound to be wiser.

This is the same thought process that ran through Jeremy’s head as he tapped his foot agitatedly. The incessant sound his muddy boot made against the clean marble was certainly annoying, but the young man sitting across from him was unfazed.

“Look,” Jeremy began, repeating his words from earlier, for all the good they did. “All I want is to speak to the Commander. The information I have is important, and it can’t wait.” Unsaid was that he didn’t trust the man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties at most, to be competent enough to handle it.

Although he had voiced a similar opinion a mere fifteen minutes ago, nothing had changed in his circumstances. He remained sitting on a plush couch in a rather opulent room, but the only other occupants were Vance Hill, the man on the other sofa, and a woman in her early thirties in a matching white uniform standing behind him.

“As I have already told you,” Hill said emotionlessly, his dark eyes carefully blank without a hint of frustration. “The Imperial Guard Commander is currently indisposed. As the Vice-Commander, I have the authority to take command of any matters in his absence.”

Jeremy scoffed loudly. The farmer had heard the news from a few weeks ago, and the entire capital city was in equal disbelief that the Commander of the most important military organisation of the Weiss Empire had appointed such a young man to such a high position. He scrutinized Hill’s dark eyes and common brown hair. A commoner at that.

The woman behind the military man clearly took offence at the farmer’s open disdain. “The Vice-Commander has displayed incredible skill, and the Commander would never have appointed someone unfit for the job!” She scowled in offense, gold buttons and embroidery on her uniform glinting in the light as she shifted from her tense position.

Before Jeremy could give a response, Hill cut her off without a shift in his cold expression. “Calm down, Vanessa,” He reprimanded, and she immediately quieted with a guilty face. She clearly respected him greatly, although he was a decade her junior.

The man in the white military uniform shifted his attention back to the farmer, who shrank back. The authoritative tone that Hill had used for the first time suddenly made him seem much more formidable, but Jeremy tried his best to hide his discomfort.

“Count Hart sent you with instructions to ask the Imperial Guard for help,” Hill said softly, stating a fact rather than asking a question, and Jeremy immediately felt wary. He hadn’t told them that yet. How did he find out? As if hearing these thoughts, Vance Hill continued his matter-of-fact tone of speaking. “The Commander spoke with the Count of the Hart region a few weeks ago, urging him to inform us in case of any unusual incidents.”

There was a moment of silence as nobody spoke, allowing the man with muddy boots to digest these words. “We believe that the terrorist organisation that attacked the Badheil region last month may be targeting one of the four major cities in this region, and that such suspicious incidents may be the only warning signs.” Hill ended his explanation, and remained quiet, as the cogs in Jeremy’s head began to spin rapidly.

A few weeks ago, a strange group of people had attacked the largest city in the mentioned region, nearly flooding the city with the water from a nearby river. The elemental powers possessed by the men and women of the organisation made the impossible task of redirecting a river a far more mundane task.

The city would have been underwater by now if it wasn’t for the timely assistance of the Imperial Guard, similarly filled with people possessing powers from all over the Empire. They had found out about the attack in time, and had managed to avert most of the damage.

Although the Count of the Hart region hadn’t told him so when he sent Jeremy to report the incident he witnessed, the farmer knew that he was afraid of a similar incident occurring in his city. So when the Commander of the Imperial Guard requested the Counts of the neighboring regions to keep an eye out for suspicious people suddenly moving en masse, Count Hart didn’t hesitate to ask for help.

But even with this new understanding of the situation, this didn’t change Jeremy’s disbelief that such a young man would do a half-decent job with his information. As if guessing these doubts, Hill gracefully lifted his right hand.

His fingers glowed a mystical blue and droplets of water began to form from thin air. The streams of water flowed gracefully, swirling together to form a larger blob that dropped into the empty glass on the table between them.

Jeremy watched in awe as the young Vance Hill demonstrated his incredible control over his powers, commanding the elements in a precise manner that those with twice his experience would struggle to do. Such a meticulous grasp of one’s powers could only come from diligent training and an incredibly robust mind.

Watching the child-like awe on the face of a man who had never before seen powers in use before, a rare smile cracked on the usually emotionless face of Vance Hill. Even he, who tried his best to remain grave in order to be taken seriously, couldn’t help but feel pride in the results of his hard work.

Vanessa watched with a satisfied grin as Jeremy finally gave in, giving them the information they needed. She had once felt a similar awe when she first watched Vance display his incredible prowess. Even now, she couldn’t help but be impressed when he completed feats, ones which others would believe impossible, with contemptuous ease.

As Jeremy narrated his tale of seeing suspicious people entering the city to stay in various inns, Vanessa felt pride in the growth of their organisation, which she had joined in its earliest stages. What was once a small group with barely any power, now held the trust and belief of many across the Empire. And it all began with the Commander and Vice-Commander.

She had never held any doubt that Vance Hill could complete any task given to him perfectly, even when held back by his age.