Nero looked at the wide smile on Footers face, fully aware of the fact that the man himself was in Whisper Guard. Did he know that Nero was aware?
But, in a much more subtle way, his description did match him now that he thought about it. Even Ms. Zim to an extent. They really did not care for the rules, and were always telling him things that he was fairly certain he really shouldn't know. That was not even considering the redacted research paper Nero had delivered to his dorm, or the underground secret curse holding facility he was brought to.
The wide grin now that there was an ongoing war also fit really well into his own definition of being crazy. The one thing it didn't fit was his father.
Sure, he broke the rules when he gave Nero his innate card. But doing something out of concern for his own son, and being a chronic rule breaker were not the same thing. Maybe that was just Footers' way of trying to cheer him up.
Nero took in a deep breath, and flipped a mental switch, putting his concerns aside. Footer was right about one thing. There was only so much he could do, so he would do his best, and trust that his family was doing the same.
When he breathed out, he turned back to Footer.
"So what exactly am I supposed to do? How should I take advantage of this? What benefits can I get from the army, and how can I benefit them?"
"Going with the flow of things is not really your style, is it?" Footer murmured. "Well, for now, you go back to school. The army won't call for you overnight. They don't do things half heartedly. I wouldn't be surprised if all the Heralds from all over Kolar gather in Aetherpeak over the next month or so.
"Basically, you'll know ahead of time when they need you. After that is the easy part. You just follow orders. They will tell you what to do, and you do it. There's no amount of planning you can do around that, because that part is non-negotiable. It's the part everyone struggles with most, and it's also the easiest part as long as you go with it.
"The only thing you have to be mentally prepared for is interference. This kind of information is not public, but our enemies will do everything in their power to delay our progress while they try to gain their own advantages. Espionage and assassination are extremely common. If your mission is particularly important, they may even send Spectres after you."
"How in the world am I supposed to be prepared to be hunted by professionals?" Nero asked, sensing an obvious flaw in Footers words. Professionals, in this sense, referred to card masters who had gained professions. That meant they had surpassed the Arcanist level! Nero could not even face an Arcanist at his level, let alone those at higher levels.
"You can be prepared to run, or hide, or whatever it takes. There is no such thing as fair or reasonable when it comes to war. I am not exaggerating to sound experienced. I am telling you that if you have any missions related to the ruins, then you can expect to face any kind of danger at any time. Obviously, you will also get the corresponding level of protection.
But personal preparation is something you can never skip on."
The two continued to talk the remaining journey, and though Footer seemed more excitable now, for whatever reason, Nero took each of his words incredibly seriously. He asked him how he could prepare to escape in case he ever faced a professional, and Footer actually gave him some suggestions. Of course, each of them would require a certain level of luck.
The talk also helped Nero come to terms with the fact that they were at war, and all his plans had to be thrown out the door.
He did not have months to a year to get admission into KMA, and then he didn't have his training period to grow even stronger and make more contacts. He was about to face some very real threats, and the fact that he was weak was the very reason he might be desirable.
He could imagine how that was an advantage, but the world was vast and anything was possible. But the closer they got to the city, the quieter they became.
Finally, when they reached the city gate, and were waiting for their car to be inspected before they could enter, Footer spoke one more time.
"Chances are when we go back, my name will be in the draft list. I'm probably not going to be able to teach you anything from now on."
"You have been an excellent teacher. Thank you for your tutelage." Nero did not smile or smirk as he spoke, and meant every word of it.
Footer looked at him for a brief moment, before turning back to the road.
"What I was saying was, I'm probably not going to be able to teach you anything from now on, so let me give you one final lesson. If your father is in Whisper Guard, then don't for a second assume that you are without backing in the army. There are some things I cannot say, and you will learn with time. But just know this, in war, things are chaotic.
If you have an enemy, then they can become a casualty of war at any time."
Footer paused, and made eye contact with Nero to make sure he understood what he was saying.
"Similarly, if someone treats you as an enemy, then they'd be happy to see you as a casualty of war as well."
There was a deafening silence in the car after that, as Nero thought about the fact that his teacher was telling him his father would help him cover up murder, or in polite terminology, friendly fire.
It did not phase him as much as it perhaps should have. After all, he began this very journey with the intention of taking revenge.
But the fact that others might want to kill him as well was something he should spend some time preparing for.