Do you understand your duty?
"Yes, Father."
Do you understand the risks involved?
"Yes, Father."
Then go, my child. Let the Empire have what it wants:
The Perfect Soldier.
"It's true that you show great promise as a magic user, but why not wait and volunteer when you're a… little older?" The man looked the six year old orphan girl up and down, finding it hard to believe that she was even that old. Despite her records listing her as six, she looked to be closer to four with how small she was.
"I have no other path!" The look of fierce determination on the girl's face was more than shocking to the man, and somewhat disorientating when combined with her high-pitched, almost babyish voice.
"It's my duty," came her matter-of-fact declaration. At the age of six, she was only just old enough to enlist as a mage, but even so the Imperial Army rarely ever actually accepted children at that age. Few children actively sought the military career, and most who did were essentially forced into it by their child, on the other hand, was a parentless and penniless commoner with such an incredible magic potential that she actually broke their machinery when they tried to test her, not to mention that she apparently had been using magic without a computation jewel since she was five. Much as he would have liked to send her away, he knew he'd lose his job if he did so.
"Very well, young miss. Your volunteer application is approved. Welcome to the Imperial Army. I will take your oath now." The girl's face split in half as a twisted smile appeared, making the officer's blood run cold.
"I swear to bring glory to the Empire. I swear to uphold the values of the Empire, and to ensure our safety even at the risk of my own life. I swear to defend the Empire's citizens from hardship, no matter what form it comes in. I swear to show no mercy in butchering the enemies of the Fatherland. Hail to the Empire!"
Lieutenant Colonel Erich von Rerugen looked into the almost glowing-blue eyes of the small girl whose foot was still on the chest of the man she was about to maim. His hand trembled as he held her Mondragön rifle back from the face of the rookie, bayonet mere centimetres away from his face.
"I'm simply doing my best for the Empire, sir, that's all." Her eyes, despite their almost fiery appearance, were cold and emotionless as she spoke. There was no malice or anger in her voice, just a void where emotion was supposed to be.
"Isn't it my duty to discipline my soldiers?" Her words went unheard by Rerugen as he failed to suppress a shiver from coursing through his body.
"Hey! What're you doing?"
"No, not this again!" The shouting of the two men running towards them finally snapped Rerugen out of his stupor. He let go of her rifle as she stepped off of the man. Looking again, Rerguen saw that she couldn't have been older than five, which was impossible given Imperial recruitment law. He shook his head, assuming he must be mistaken. Still, the girl was unbelievably young, and yet…
Rerugen knew he wasn't looking at a human. No human is as cold as this thing is, no human is as empty as this thing is. No. This was not a human.
This was a machine in a little girl's skin.
Breath in; breath out.
"Tanya Degeurechaff, beginning patrol." Mana coursed through my veins as I leapt into the sky. A routine patrol, nothing more. A little boring, admittedly, but an emotional suppressant spell tucked that feeling away. One of the first spells I ever used, and one I apparently invented myself. I almost always have my emotional suppressant running, even when I don't have a computation jewel. Life is easier when I can use logic exclusively. I do seem to recall the look on people's faces when I mention the spell being one of either horror or sorrow, which is odd. Maybe I should teach them the spell so they can better serve the Fatherland?
Looking out across the mostly frozen landscape, I find very little to do but think. I suppose now is an okay time to allow my emotions to run, right? I mean, it is just a patrol.
What's the worst that can happen?