Nero listened to the registration officer with unwavering focus, absorbing everything he said with great enthusiasm. The first two years of KMA being standard for everyone before each cadet was divided into various, relevant streams was entirely new information for him, though he could appreciate the logic behind it.
Despite living in Kolar, and having a militaristic upbringing, the incoming cadets would need some time and training to transition from the mentality of a regular civilian to an actual serving member of the army.
Much more importantly, these two years would serve as the core foundation of their entire military career! He had no idea how they were going to be observed over these two years, and whether it would be standardized through their various classes or would have assigned personnel watching over them, but he understood the logic in it!
Even though both army streams, whether through officer or enlistee, had a path to the very top based on a soldier's achievements and Aetherian ranking, officers in general required greater scrutiny. Since officers would take on greater and more significant commanding roles, their competency as well as personality type would greatly influence the development and operation of the army for years to come!
If a person had a violent personality, and was likely to get into multiple fights with those around him, then that person would be ill-suited for significant commanding roles for he would negatively impact morale and army unity. A two year period would be sufficient to uncover such personality traits, even if one was the best of actors.
Nero was certain that if he had such a goal, he could act a certain way for a year or two to create a false impression of his personality. But if during those two years, each of his actions was under supervision and being analysed in detail, then it would only be a matter of time before the truth would be unveiled despite his best attempts at deception!
Such a process surely couldn't be easy, and would require significant resources. Then again, as the core of Kolari officer training, and the supposed incorruptible bastion of Kolari values, it only made sense that they would put in such significant efforts in grooming the very best officers.
But such great efforts made him realise just how impactful the subsequent three years of training would be if so much effort was being put in to determine an officer's path before then. Although he could not be sure just yet, Nero's initial conclusion was that to join the Valkan legion his father had told him about, he would need to get his recommendations and recognition within the first two years.
At least now he had some insight and direction for how to join, although he would need to find out more. For now, his focus remained on his orientation.
Compared to everything he had heard before, Nero was relatively aware of the matter of platoons and battalions, though the fact that platoons were formed in the third year was somewhat unusual to him.
Dividing everyone into battalions was a way of familiarising soldiers with the structure and hierarchy of the army, and getting them used to the operational structure of the army. Acting in small teams, the way he did back in Lumina, made one feel independent. But if your goal was aligned with, or even dependent on the overall goal of a larger body, then the focus would be divided a lot more from individual goals to collective goals.
Despite the emphasis on individuality that innate powers and Aetherian ranks created, the army was ultimately a collective of a large group of people, thus teamwork mattered significantly more. The operational force and might of such a collective would always be greater than an individual.
One on one an Arcanist might be a significant threat, but with a trained team by his side, the advantage would shift in his favor.
Thus, during training, a platoon would be the smallest group one was a part of, while a battalion was the largest, more abstract group one would be a part of. A battalion would shape one's identity and belonging, bringing aspects of symbolism and belonging. Pride in one's battalion would make soldiers strive more on an individual level to bring honour or more concrete benefits to the battalion.
In comparison, a platoon was a much smaller group, but also a more intimate one. It is where they would develop deep interpersonal relationships, and learn to cover for one another. The fact that platoons would only form in the third year likely meant that for the first two years they would be treated as individuals rather than a collective, which might be good for determining a person's characteristics. What Nero couldn't understand is how their leadership qualities would be tested without any actual groups in the beginning.
"The four battalions are named after four legendary generals, all followers of Emperor Iskunder," the officer continued. "The battalions are Astarties, Enlil, Demeter, and Marcus. The reason that the battalions are named after these generals is so that you revere and respect your battalion, recognising its role and significance to you. At the same time, none of these generals have, historically, any ties to Kolar - this is so you understand that these battalions are only significant within KMA, and have no significance or standing within the army."
Nero subconsciously nodded, already aware of the names of the four battalions. This was because, regardless of what this officer said, each of the battalions had a real reputation attached to them that went beyond the boundaries of KMA.
This was primarily due to the fact that from the third year onwards, soldiers would be sent out on missions. Over the years, a culture had formed of judging the performance of cadets and comparing it to other famous or renown names from similar battalions.
All four battalions had a strong reputation and presence, similar to the fame of famous sports teams or groups. Unfortunately, the officers' attempts to inform the cadets that the battalion's significance was existent within KMA only was destined to fail. There was a lot of honour and pride attached to the battalion one was in, and ultimately it was impossible to avoid preferential treatment towards someone who had been in the same battalion during training.
Although it appeared as if the officer did not want to encourage such strict loyalty to one's battalion, Nero thought it was a clever ploy. Such attempts would be futile, so perhaps this was an application of reverse psychology! By telling everyone not to care for them, they made them care about them even more.
It was basic human psychology - after all, it was basically impossible not to form attachments to the battalion where one would train for five years. Maybe this was one of the ways in which the army started to build loyalty among the soldiers between generations of leaders. After all, even if they had never met, senior officers would treat junior officers partially as long as they belonged to the same battalion, thus ensuring they were looked after.
"Your battalion allocations won't be random. Your entry tests and even your school reports and performance will be taken into account to ensure that each battalion gets an equal split in terms of talent, skill and performance. The reason for that is because only among equally skilled peers can you have proper competition.
"Having said that, the training in the first two years will be the same for all battalions. Any favours or privileges earned by your battalions won't affect that - at least. The training schedule for all cadets will be broken into ten parts, starting from the morning call! That will be followed by early morning drills.
"Following drills will be breakfast, after which will be your classes. After classes, you will have your second round of drills, or some kind of physical training. The specifics will change depending on your semester, but the overall structure will remain the same.
"After the second drill you will have lunch, which will be followed by an afternoon training block. Once again, this training block will involve some kind of instructional training or discipline, including Aetheric training.
"This will actually be the last part of your training for the day, although that will not be the end. Instead, at this point you will take part in team or individual sports, on rotation. Do not treat this as a game - even these sports serve a purpose. They are there to first and foremost teach you teamwork, and then to familiarise yourselves with the sensations of victory and failure. Knowing how to take grace in victory, and learn from your losses will be an active part of your training!
"Finally, after the sports, you will be given your daily free time. What you do in your free time will be up to you, and no one will comment or instruct you on what to do during this period. Dinner will be available in the mess from 6 to 8 pm, and you can go have it at your own discretion.
"Then, at 9 pm, will be lights out - except when you have night-time training. For that, you will be informed in advance. This basic outline will stay consistent for the next two years, get familiar with it."
There were a number of groans and light wails in the room as everyone heard of the intense schedule they would be expected to keep over the next few years, though Nero showed no signs of complaint or irritation.
After all, the officer had said that they would be judged for two years, and unless someone told him otherwise, Nero would assume that assessment of him had already begun!