— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7294. SEASON: CENTRAL.

"There are things an individual can do but a state cannot," Queen Titiana taught.

The memory played through Lawruthian's mind as he posed his question.

"Today, today, I will teach you about the Three Arts of War ," his mother continued. They were on a palace balcony, overlooking the city in the midst of summer. The sky was mostly clear, with a few sparse clouds and a light breeze to accompany them. To Lawruthian, it was his favorite type of day. Unfortunately, instead of being in Imperius Hall playing with golems, he was stuck here.

Queen Titiana snapped, and a gust of wind smacked Lawruthian in the face.

"Pay attention," she warned, raising her hand to hide a smile. Her young child was so cute. He sat there in a button-down outfit with navy-blue shorts and a small hat. An outfit of his design. At such a young age, he was already involved in several industries. Titiana could barely resist scooping him up and pinching his cheeks while planting kisses all over.

"First, before I teach, it is important for me to understand what you know. If you're not in your Imperius Hall playing with golems, you're reading or looking for interesting items in the capital's adventurer's wares. Tell me, my little warrior, what do you know of war?"

"It isn't just a physical activity," Lawruthian responded, still rubbing his forehead. "It's a mental, verbal," he waved his hand. "War is a conflict between two parties or more and can be resolved through physical conflict or a game of words."

Lawruthian kept it simple. He'd already shown he was smarter than other children and able to converse with adults on his own, but he was still wary of revealing everything about himself to his mom.

"Good, just by stating that, I can see you have a good grasp of the basics. Today I will expound on the individual and the state before we return to the main subject," Queen Titiana continued to speak, carefully meeting the eyes of her child.

"There are many things an individual can do but a state cannot," Queen Titiana repeated. "An individual can love, forgive, or even sacrifice their lives for a cause. A state cannot."

Lawruthian nodded, showing that he was paying attention as she spoke.

"An individual can be impulsive, acting rashly when emotions are high and feelings are unable to be disregarded. A person can give consent to authority, have a conscience, and more. They can sing, dance, live, and die. An individual is mortal , a state is not. In a perfect world, a state is an eternal factor; its concept is close in nature to that of Gods."

"I don't think so," Lawruthian interrupted. "States aren't living, breathing; those operating them are, but the state itself isn't. Gods are living entities," Lawruthian partially whispered the ending. "They feel emotions, have desires, wants, and needs . They aren't eternal, or those fallen by the Goddess's hands would not be in the history books."

Queen Titiana smiled. "What makes you think that very act of preservation doesn't make them eternal?"

Lawruthian frowned, not understanding what his mother was asking. It must have shown on his face, for the Queen quickly added more.

"The very act of falling by the Goddess's hand has cemented them in eternity—so long as She permits, countless historians and generations will pass with the knowledge of Her slaying figures like Az of Wisdom and Oogoon of Wealth. That very act has allowed them an eternal existence. Their nature as a God preserved through the efforts of Her."

Lawruthian scrunched his eyebrows together. He understood what his mother was getting at, but he still didn't quite agree.

"That makes them dead, you cannot be eternal and dead," he countered, preparing a follow-up.

"Says who?"

Lawruthian paused. He waited a few moments, thinking over his mom's words and this new world of his. The laws were different. The reality wasn't the same. The Gods here rose from once mortals to the station they're at now. His mother's response partially stumped him.

Did eternal or eternity equate to living? He'd always assumed so, but now that single response from his mother made him think.

You didn't need to be alive to become eternal—so long as generations after you passed you down, you would become so even without living. And, Lawruthian could apply this concept to other things. The stars in the night sky, celestial bodies to mortals, were eternal. Their figures would rarely, if ever, change during a single generation.

"You're right," Lawruthian responded. "You don't need to be living to be eternal."

Queen Titiana showed a triumphant grin, but Lawruthian still wasn't done speaking.

"States can still fall; I can list several examples of those that have."

"They've fallen, yes, but that very act of listing them shows that the history remains— eternally preserved . So, have they truly died in the concept of a mortal dying?"

Lawruthian tapped a finger against his leg. He sighed, then finally responded.

"No."

"No," Queen Titiana confirmed. "There is one thing a state can do, and an individual can replicate—eternity through history, a thing many great men pursue once they lose the spark of crossing that threshold and breaking the bonds of mortality."

"A state is authority," Queen Titiana took out a medallion, lightly tossing it to Lawruthian.

The youth barely caught the heavy golden bronze object, and he looked at it with curiosity.

"That," Queen Titiana gestured, "is the throne. That is the state."

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The object suddenly felt a lot heavier in his hands.

" That medallion represents supreme authority in Edryan; only the Goddess is higher. That medallion controls the nobles. That medallion guides the people. That medallion is what will make you King, but that is a conversation for later."

Queen Titiana lightly waved her hand, and the medallion returned before being tucked into her sleeve.

"The Arts of War encompasses all things. Daily, every single thing participates in war."

Lawruthian tilted his head to the side. His mother's sudden change in topic nearly caught him off guard. It brought back to the forefront of his mind that this entire conversation was specifically to discuss the Arts of War . Well, his mother had given him one hell of an introduction.

"Every time you breathe, you draw in mana and other things that nourish your body," Queen Titiana taught, taking a deep breath as an example. "Your action, of breath, is inherent war against the world and all living things that require breath."

Lawruthian's scrunched eyebrows returned to their former positions, and he cocked his head as he stared at his mother. "Huh?"

Titiana smiled, reaching over and lightly pinching her child's chubby cheeks. Her eyes were wide, and she closed them for several moments while taking breaths.

"Resources," Queen Titiana eventually answered. "The breath we take, the water we drink, the food we eat are resources another cannot have. It is an implicit war that occurs throughout time. These actions, although simple, take away from another who may need it."

"That's not war," Lawruthian countered. "That's life. Taking in air, water, or cultivated and sold foods isn't an action of harm against another person. It's just… life," Lawruthian shrugged as he finished.

"I don't disagree," Queen Titiana responded. "But it is still encompassed in the Art of War."

Lawruthian's confusion didn't dissipate, and his mother frowned slightly. She put a finger to her chin and tapped it lightly. A moment passed before she next spoke.

"The essence of war is conflict, yes?"

Lawruthian nodded; that was something he could easily agree on.

"Then, would you also agree that war is a competition against one another?"

Again, he nodded, but his confused expression still remained. It wasn't that he didn't understand her words, but the comparison was something he would consider an illogical argument.

"This air that you and I breathe, what do you think would happen if this balcony were suddenly cut off and put in a separate space?"

"We would run out of air and eventually die."

"Good," Queen Titiana responded. "Who would die first?"

Lawruthian relaxed but answered his mom's question.

"Likely me, I'm not a leveler yet, and I'm not as strong as you."

"Yes, both a conflict and competition would take place between us. One, even if we held no knowledge of what would still happen. Conflicts of this nature, in the Arts of War, are called Implicit War —it is an act even unwilling that we conflict over. These types of conflicts happen daily, this land you sleep on, the meat you eat. You have entered a state of Implicit War against all living beings... do you understand?" ‎

"Yes," Lawruthian nodded. "It's an action of an unintended conflict against the world and those within it."

"The second state of war is Explicit War —if today, I say," Queen Titiana looked south, "invade the Federation of Farya without warning, that would be an irrefutable act of aggression."

She looked to her child, who seemed to be understanding more and more as she went on. Lawruthian was paying attention, having sat up straight and pondered her words.

"What do you think," she asked.

"I think it's true," Lawruthian shrugged. "No matter how you may want to explain it to the Federation or any other country, such acts are declarations of war."

"Do you see the essence of it? What such an act is?"

Lawruthian nodded, showing that he not only paid attention but comprehended his mother's teachings. "It is an open, brutal method. There is no use in denying it or even attempting to go against its nature. This type of conflict is something when you want to send a message or display generations of built might."

"Yes, it is a show of aggression—when one needs to be strong and allow none to question our country and the Goddess's power. It is an honor and a duty to fulfill, and it is a time of loss and new—a cycle of life and death."

She paused, turning to the maid who entered and gesturing to the table before them. The woman came forth and placed down an assortment of sweet snacks, fruits, cheeses, and meats. As the maid turned and left, Queen Titiana continued her lesson.

"The third art of the Three Arts of War is Veiled War . It is a method of internal agreement and can be used to weaken powerful enemies or for a bloodless war. The act of conquering without spilling blood is not low on the greatest acts of faith we can gift Her."

"They are acts of sabotage—deaths of political figures, insightful rumors, and a multitude of methods to ensure your enemy falls, and even if possible, welcomes you in," Lawruthian said. "They are best started long after you've made ample preparations and deeply thought of methods to weaken your nation's foe."

The Queen's eyes brightened, and she looked approvingly at her child. Not only was he able to understand the points she made quickly, but he was also able to deduce and comprehend things on a deeper level. This inherently showed his capability to lead and participate in greater conflict. The Queen would nurture this within him, ensuring his education wasn't just consumed by golems and magic spells.

"Turn these acts of aggression, whether implicit, explicit, or veiled, into a weapon of sharp innovations. No matter what your fate is, your actions must be both open and hidden, and even allow it to have no traces of implicitness. So that it may seem as natural as breathing or eating. Only then will you have mastered these arts and enter a realm of those valued by the Goddess."

Lawruthian nodded to his mother's words; a serious expression was on his face as he stared down at the liquid in his cup. A dark juice, its contents sweet with a hint of bitterness. Red-gold eyes stared back, the lesson over and actively being applied as Lawruthian began step two of the three.

"The magi have magic, yes," Lawruthian responded, eyes fixed on the young man who spoke. He had first to acknowledge, then diminish the exact advantage. It was best if someone else acted on his behalf. His next words were hasty, but necessary. "But so do Orc Shamans and the many elven subsidiaries. Does your state lack the confidence to face them?"

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