In the end, the one who caught the eye of Hellfire Legion's leaders was a nobody: Frank, the man who had started by giving every soldier a lesson.
He was not one of the Graduates, and his scores were nowhere near the top of the Instructors' list. But he had truly grasped the role of a Political Commissar and put that understanding into practice.
He had not been blindly confident. Throughout the trial, he had cared for his soldiers while keeping the mission in mind. When facing enemies, he had carefully chosen whether to avoid them, fight them, or even persuade them.
And he had always put the mission first.
If Adam and Soren had the makings of Political Commissars but still needed tempering, Frank was a natural!
Now only one stage remained.
The five Apprentice Political Commissars ended their brief two-day tour of Dimon Kingdom and returned to the camp in Free City.
"It was fake?"
When they learned that every event they had encountered in the trial had been scripted, all but Adam froze.
"That's... unbelievable."
"I didn't notice a thing!"
"What about the Ratfolk? Were they arranged too?"
They were still talking when Lordaeron's adjutant arrived. He glanced over the group as they fell silent, then settled his gaze on Frank.
"Frank, come with me."
Frank, who had been sitting inconspicuously at the edge, stood and followed Lordaeron's adjutant into a room under four very different gazes.
A chair stood inside, facing a long table. Femi, Legion Commander of Hellfire Legion, and Krian, its Deputy Legion Commander, sat behind it.
Lordaeron's adjutant took the third seat and gestured for Frank to sit opposite them. "We have a few questions."
"What was the point of what you told the soldiers before setting out?"
"Sir! To make sure