When someone speaks about the most powerful force in the world, they often assume it's a single hero capable of overturning an otherwise doomed battle.
Some would say that it was an ancient artifact capable of obliterating the mountains.
And a rare few would say that only Chrunus could be considered the greatest force in the world.
However, why would a supreme god be considered a force? Perhaps a force of nature, but a force as humanity puts it? The answer was rather simple.
No.
The artifact, while powerful, was nothing without a wielder. What was the point of an artifact that would either kill the user or disintegrate after a single blast?
And what about a hero? Well, a hero was a single man.
They could never be everywhere at once; no matter how powerful they would be outmaneuvered, exhausted, and finally killed.
To Akshan, true force was a powerful army, which, of course, had to consist of well-trained and strong individuals.
Of course, the strongest were not necessary, while they helped the army depended on obedience and discipline.
If an army lacked discipline, it could be annihilated by an inferior force, same if they disobeyed orders.
An army had to trust their commander as much as the commander trusted their men.
And fortunately, he trusted his soldiers more than his own brothers.
He was made the supreme general of the first legion for a reason.
He sat onto an elegant wooden chair before pushing it back slightly, rocking himself.
While he had trusted his soldiers, the same couldn't be said about those who were members of the church before the legion.
They were supposed to be loyal to the royal family and nobility in case of emergency, and yet the church was able not only to influence but outright control many of the legion's dealings.
Not to say they had influence was an insult to the sheer amount of roots they grew through the military structure.
In a way, the Church would at any time be able to take control of the most powerful human army and use it to fulfill its goals.
'Not like they aren't doing that already...' Akshan sighed.
The church had recently taken out many of the more prominent members, their power changing side from the first legion to the Church.
What's worse, they never returned.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
'Sale is missing too...'
With his hand, he passed through his long black hair, his blue eyes tired from sleepless nights while agonizing over his duties.
He did not know why the church called them, but he had a strong suspicion it was due to the coronation of the new queen.
Akshan, of course, did not care about the senate voting in the new queen; however, he worried about what using his soldiers to suppress the new ruler would mean for the future of Valar.
If the Church could use its soldiers as it pleased, it meant that Valar was about to become a full-blown theocracy, just as the Kingdom of Zigurat was.
Nobody could stand against the might of the 1st legion... nobody but the Church of Chrunus.
The Army was the force that made changes that were truly revolutionary, and that power was slipping from his grasp every time the Church called away the soldiers.
He raised his hands.
SLAM
The wooden table cracked.
"Lord Akshan!" A voice reached him outside his office.
He raised his eyebrow; he did not expect a visit. "Yes?"
"A powerful warrior is seeking audience!" The man bowed, his face obscured by the helmet.
"A powerful warrior?"
"Yes, Lord Akshan. He called himself God's Chosen."
Akshan pushed air through his nose.
'Another one of Churche's lackeys.' He sighed, "Let him in."
However, who entered was not a man wearing colors of Chrunus, but instead a paladin wearing silver and white, on his chest a red cross.
He scanned the man from top to bottom before standing up and stretching out his hand. It was his duty to show manners. "My name is Akshan, grand general of the 1st legion. May I ask for your name, sir?"
The Paladin grabbed his arm before shaking it slowly.
"My name is Cedric, the God's Chosen."
Akshan smiled, his youthful face hiding the distrustful expression under a slight smile, "Glad to meet you. Please sit, I'm sure you haven't come here just to introduce yourself."
Cedric nodded, his demeanor radiating respect, "I am here to discuss the Church of Chrunus."
'Ah, here it is... they are here to request more soldiers.' He sighed.
"Continue." He gestured.
"The first legion will support the Queen Aurelia." he stopped for a moment, "The church of Chrunus will be destroyed, those who stand in the way of Christ will be purged."
Akshan looked at Cedric for a moment, "You are not from the church?"
He looked at the Paladin, his instincts screamed at him to run, but the Paladin wasn't even threatening him.
'Wait...' Something snapped in his head.
'Wasn't the name of the hero of Vitpacar Cedric?' His face gained a slight smile.
He heard the man was incredibly powerful, to such an extent that he single-handedly destroyed an entire demihuman army and even retook Vitpacar.
He had wished to meet that hero for a while now, and now he spoke to him directly.
"Sir Cedric... are you here to join the First Legion? We would love to recruit someone of your caliber!" He spoke excitedly, while rumors were bound to be exaggerated, but there was always some truth in them.
"No." Cedric crossed his arms.
"Then..." Akshan tilted his head in confusion.
Before Akshan could even finish Cedric continued.
"I came to give you a warning, your legion will be spared. If you do not interfere with the eradication of the church, that is. I trust that you will comply." The man's aura flared, threatening to crush him.
The holy power filled the air like electricity.
Akshan gulped.
'Perhaps the rumors weren't as false as I anticipated.'