Vignette 11 - Reporting to the Head

Gariland Royal Military Akademy, Magick City of Gariland, early evening

Ramza entered the Head Master's study, with Delita a step behind. It was early evening and they had just finished stowing their belongings in their room.

"Sir, we've come to report to you, as you requested we should on our way back to Eagrose." Prejudiced though he could be towards the low-born, the Head Master was otherwise quite a likeable old man. Ramza was not entirely sorry to be speaking to him this evening, especially as he had such success to report.

"Yes, yes, of course, though it was really only you that I wanted to see, Ramza. I only want a report from you on how your squad fares." The old man smiled indulgently at Ramza, more or less ignoring Delita. Ramza gave a tiny sigh.

"So I understood, sir, but Delita's my second, so I had assumed that you would also..."

"No, no. You run along, Delita." The old man said, with an unusual show of warmth, albeit patronising warmth, towards Delita.

Delita nodded and gave the requisite salute, though he rolled his eyes at Ramza as he turned on his heel.

"Take a seat, my boy, and tell me if you learned anything from the spy your brother sent you to find."

Ramza explained what had happened, the spy dead, Delita recognising Wiegraf Folles and them interrogating the prisoner, only to find that the Marquis was a half-day's ride away – without mentioning Argath's over-enthusiasm for the process.

"So you rescued the Marquis?" The Head asked.

"Yes, sir, sort of, though, strictly speaking, he had already been more than half-rescued by Wiegraf Folles, himself. We came upon Wiegraf just after he'd killed his Lieutenant. From what he said, he killed him for having betrayed their cause, by kidnapping the Marquis in the first place. Sir, if that's the truth, that Wiegraf Folles killed a man he'd long trusted for having been so unprincipled, surely it would be possible to bring him to the negotiating table? He seems a man of honour."

"You would need to speak to your brothers about that, but I fear they will tell you that things have gone too far for that. Besides, think, Ramza, if one of his own Lieutenants has betrayed him, how could Folles hope to guarantee that any of his people would stick to any agreement made at talks between him and the Duke or your brothers."

"I suppose he couldn't. Still, the Brigade are likely to all die for their convictions, surely for Wiegraf and his people it would be better to gain half a loaf..." Ramza trailed off.

The Head Master was right; The Corpse Brigade was such a rag-tag group that Wiegraf couldn't possibly guarantee what all of his people would do.

Ramza felt unutterably frustrated – dozens, nay hundreds, of people were going to die. Some for their conviction that they had to fight for their principles of equality, many more because they just hated the aristocracy that much.

Would it be any better for those who died for their convictions? They'd be just as dead as those who died for pure hatred. Their families would be just as bereft of a husband or wife, a brother or sister, a daughter or son. He had no doubt about the Order winning – Dycedarg and Zalbaag had planned the campaign together and Zalbaag would execute that plan. As long as they had sufficient numbers, they couldn't really fail.

He had no idea if the Head Master had noticed his reverie, but the man spoke as if he had not, asking Ramza to finish his report. Ramza did so, then made as if to excuse himself and leave.

"Tell me, Ramza, how is your squad shaping up?" The old man said, stopping him.

"Very well indeed, sir. The four girls and I have been increasing our skills in magicks, currently Samantha and I are working on black magick, with secondary white magic and Hildegarde, Ophellia and Juliana are practising white with black secondary. All of us also shoot a bow pretty well. Delita's decided to stay in a more physical role and so he's still perfecting his skills as a squire, for now, but he's taken his turn as team chemist and gained a few useful skills there, also.

"As a group, I feel we've already formed a strong bond – we get on remarkably well and everyone pulls their weight. We all know we can rely on each other and all in all I'm very impressed with the way the team have become a cohesive unit, so quickly. Especially as Hildy was a last minute substitution."

"And your friend, Delita, you are happy with him as your second-in-command?" Ramza had wished to speak to the old man about this when the choice was made, but hadn't had the courage, or even much opportunity. He was nervous, but forced himself on.

"More than happy but... sir, may I speak freely, please?"

"If it's about Delita, then of course." The Head said.

"It is... I was wondering, sir, if you realise how much Delita is wasted in acting as my second-in-command. He has all of the qualities needed in a military leader but he needs practise at actually being in charge. He'd make an excellent cadet-captain – I say that not only as his friend, but as someone who has spent his life around great generals, observing them. I don't think I am being over-partial when I say he has what it takes to become a superb commander." Ramza said.

The Head Master looked at Ramza, as if weighing his words.

"If I said to you that I would happily take your word about that, and asked you to step down as Captain and put Delita in charge of your squad, instead, would you be happy to act as his second in command?" Ramza searched the old man's face to try to see if he was serious – he looked it. Sighing he said.

"Of course. I'd not want to step down, but if you tell me I have to, there's no-one I would be happier to follow than Delita, sir. He'd be every bit as good as I am, as a leader, sir – probably better." The old man nodded thoughtfully.

"Can you think why I might have been reluctant to put Delita in charge of a squad?"

"Yes sir, his birth, sir. You didn't want to put someone of his low-birth in charge of a squad, sir." That was a bad habit, Ramza reminded himself, larding your answer with "sir" when you were worried that you were about to offend. The Head Master didn't look as if he was offended, Ramza thought, thankfully.

"That plays its part," the old man said, "you look surprised to hear me say it, Ramza. Well, you shouldn't be. As many leadership qualities as you say Delita has, it will be difficult for him to ever become a senior commander in the army, as things stand. I have to give those who are likely to be given responsibility at a young age, such as yourself, priority as captain when we make up these cadet squads.

"Normally, it would have been against my better judgement to give someone of Delita's birth even the lieutenancy, but he has proved himself a very able student and with yours and your brothers' patronage he may well rise higher than anyone of peasant-stock ever has in the Order of the Northern Sky. Just as you are likely to become a general one day, I would imagine your friend may well manage to become, at least, our first low-born colonel." The old man looked self-satisfied, but this answer gave Ramza no sense of satisfaction.

"Sir, if Delita is as able as I am, shouldn't he be just as capable of becoming a general?"

"Ramza, you are being naïve if you really believe that." The Head said.

Ramza wasn't quite that naïve. He hadn't asked the question because he really believed that that was what could happen, but because it was what he felt convinced should be able happen.

"What about that protégé of Marquis Elmdore's that you had with you on your way through here a week ago? You said that he's still with you. How well do you feel he has he integrated with your squad?" The old man asked.

"Argath? I feel that I have failed with him, sir. He has not integrated well. I find I cannot like him, and none of the others appear to have many positive feelings about him either." Ramza said, wishing the Head has not remembered Argath, Ramza was thoroughly dissatisfied with the whole situation.

"And do you feel that this is his fault or yours?"

Ramza didn't think that that question was as innocuous as the Head Master's innocent-sounding tone implied.

"I... I want to say his, sir – after all, there are six of us who dislike him. However, I am the leader of the squad, and had I made more effort to help him to integrate, perhaps the others would also have tried to be more tolerant." Except Delita, he thought, Argath would never have managed to endear himself there, with his affected air of superiority, due to his supposedly elevated rank.

"I will try to do better in future, sir, try to make him feel more welcome amongst us." Ramza said.

The old man nodded his agreement, smiled, then dismissed Ramza.

Author's Note:

We're roughly at the half-way point of the story of the "flash-back within a flash-back" part (i.e. Chapter 1) of FFT, now.

I acknowledge that this is a bit of an uneventful vignette, but I wanted to move away from every chapter being "Ramza and Delita bickering and/or discussing stuff" which is what I feel I've written quite a lot of so far, but that was never my sole objective. The game's story doesn't really pick up pace until we get back to Eagrose, which should be the vignette after next.