Coach

Powell stared in disbelief. "Come on, don't tell me this is how you train an army. Do even the children where you're from have to train like this?"

Rubick explained, "Dragon Country puts its people first. Every child of school age studies a range of subjects. Most people stay in school until they're twenty-one, then enter the workforce."

Usopp was practically drooling with envy. Who knew how many books he'd even read in his life?

"It sounds like paradise," Kaya said wistfully.

Kaya knew better than most what a difference education made. The Anderson Family had considerable means, and she'd received an aristocratic education from childhood. But Usopp was her only friend because most people her age on the island came from humble farming families.

Those farmers had never been to school. They had little education, and many couldn't even read. With such a gulf in status between them, they and Kaya had never become friends.

Only Usopp, who ignored the rules, had dared to climb the wall into the Anderson estate again and again to talk with Kaya. That was how they'd become friends.

Rubick continued, "Basic education lasts six years. By the time it ends, the students are usually twelve. They're fairly independent and have ideas of their own, so they can be hard to manage when they move on to the next stage. That's why they go through two weeks or a month of military training first, to teach them discipline."

"After that, they move up a level every three years, with another round of military training each time. That's where I picked up what little I know. Compared to how our actual military trains, it's nothing."

Powell couldn't help asking, "Then Dragon Country must be very powerful."

"Of course," Rubick said proudly. "If the country weren't strong, how could its people spend more than a decade studying without worry?"

The comparison made it clear to Powell. How many schools did his own country, Oykot Kingdom, have? In Syrup Village alone, most families besides his own couldn't read.

Of course, Powell's own choices had played a part in that. The Anderson Family held no noble title from Oykot Kingdom, but in Syrup Village, its word was law. It was effectively the dominant landowning family in the area.

Powell had no desire to educate large numbers of people. Doing so would weaken his influence.

And with only one daughter, he feared she wouldn't be able to hold on to the family estate after his death, and their influence would collapse.

"You should open a school in the village," Rubick suggested. "Be the headmaster yourself. Then every student who graduates will be your pupil."

Powell was tempted. He knew Rubick understood these matters better than he did. "I'll arrange it right away. There are plenty of children in the village. They run all over the place when they aren't doing farmwork. It would be good to give them something to do."

They chatted and laughed, and half an hour passed quickly.

Merry came over to remind them. "Sir, it's been half an hour."

"There's no rush," Rubick said. "Let's see how long they can hold out."

Without a clock to look at, people had little sense of how much time had passed. After all, time was something people had defined. It both existed and didn't.

So Powell had Merry bring over chairs, and they sat down to continue their conversation.

"Isn't that enough, mister?"

Kaya was worried about the children. She could see that several of them were already swaying on their feet.

Thud!

One child lost his footing and fell. He struggled but couldn't get back up. After standing still for more than half an hour, his legs had stopped obeying him.

Several children beside him hurried to pull him up. They could barely stand themselves, but they kept holding on.

"Mister..." Kaya said again.

Rubick nodded, then strode forward, sounding furious. "Who told you to move?"

The oldest girl was named Meisha. "Coach, he fell."

"Who gave you permission to speak? Next time, say 'Permission to speak' first! Understood?"

"Permission to speak! Understood!"

Rubick's face remained stern. "I ordered you to stand still, but several of you moved without permission. Now all of you will be punished."

The child who had fallen was on the verge of tears. "Permission to speak!"

"Speak!"

"I fell. I'll take the punishment alone."

"Objection denied."

Rubick pointed to the estate wall. "All of you, walk five laps along the wall. After that, Miss Kaya will take over your training."

"Yes!"

"Didn't you eat?" Rubick shouted. "Louder!"

"Yes!"

"Together!"

"Yes!"

"Go!"

The four children supported one another as they walked unsteadily along the wall. None of them spoke, though two or three quietly wiped away tears.

Only when they were farther away did Rubick let out a breath.

"Ah, I finally got to see what it feels like to be a drill instructor. That was great!"

Usopp couldn't hold back. "Mister, isn't that way too harsh? They're only kids."

"And why punish everyone for one person's mistake?" Kaya asked. "Isn't that unfair to the others?"

Rubick patiently explained, "I'm training them to work as one. Given enough time, they'll become inseparable comrades. Then, on the battlefield, they'll trust one another to watch their backs."

"If you don't believe me... Merry, come here a moment," Rubick said.

Merry looked puzzled. Rubick handed him an apple. "Put this on your head and let Usopp shoot at it. How about it?"

Merry immediately hesitated. "Well... that seems..."

Usopp bristled. "I'm an incredible marksman. I never miss!"

But Merry still seemed reluctant. "If the master orders me to, I'll take the risk."

Powell understood at once. "I see. Merry doesn't want to do it because he and Usopp don't trust each other. You intend to train those children so that even if a comrade fires at an apple on their head, they'll trust them completely?"

"Exactly," Rubick said. "That's why Miss Kaya's training afterward is important too. I'll be the stern one, and she'll be the kind one."

Kaya looked confused. "What should I do?"

Rubick guided her through it. "Care for them in every way you can, until they truly feel you want what's best for them. After the hardship and exhaustion they endure with me, they'll feel all the more warmth from you."