"So what exactly do I need to do?"I asked Luna as I walked with her to the train station and felt my pockets. Alpha core? There is. A dead phone? There is. A folded Equestria map many times? There is. A train ticket? There is. Everything in place.

"Thestrals have always been the backbone of the night Watch because they are the only ones well suited for such work. But they went underground and are now undergoing their reintegration. Since now, in fact, only you are in the night watch, it will be up to you to train them."

"Any advice?"

"Gain authority among the soldiers and don't lose it." Luna answered after a couple of seconds of reflection.

I massaged my temples with two fingers, restraining the desire to ridicule Luna for such useless advice and asked another question "How many people will I need to train?"

"Fifty. By the way, here's another tip for you. Try to look for outstanding soldiers among the soldiers. Someone who can command and who will be loyal. "

"Why so few people? "

"There was only enough equipment for fifty of the many volunteers."

"Well, I have one last question. What will it look like? I just don't understand how it's going to happen. Are they going to ride the same train with me or something?"

She shook her hoof as if rejecting my version of, "No, they will arrive a little earlier than you and will be waiting for you at the train station. Then, using the map I gave you, you will get into the military base and start training soldiers."

I nodded to Luna and focused on the road to the train station. There are quite a lot of ponies on the street now because I was woken up this morning. Judging by the very neutral reaction of the pony to me, it can be concluded that the idea of me as a monster has already disappeared from the mass consciousness. That's why I hate collectivism. The memory of the crowd exists only when it is beneficial to the manager. Only I can turn a stupid crowd into a gathering of intelligent, free and honest people united by mutually beneficial relationships and a single goal. Achieve perfection.

During the time I was thinking, Luna and I had already managed to get to the train station. When I got to the train station, I leaned against the wall and waited for the train, enjoying the scenery in parallel. Well, or I would enjoy it if there was a landscape here instead of a bunch of medieval houses.

I hope the military base is far from the city. And in general, it sounds like a simple job. You find a boy and tell him to do everything for you and that's it! You sit, relax and develop yourself. Only advantages!

A loud horn brought me out of my thoughts and made me pay attention to the approaching train. The train began to creak as it slowly braked and eventually stopped. The doors of the train opened and surprisingly only twenty ponies got out of it.

I turned to Luna and asked the question, "Don't a lot of ponies ride the train?"

"At four o'clock in the morning? Not very much."

"I thought it was about seven o'clock. Anyway, I'll see you again." I said, holding out my hand to Luna in farewell.

She silently gave me a hoof and I shook it. Having finished with this, I boarded the train and took the seat indicated on the ticket. Sitting down in my seat, I began to inspect the car in which I found myself. There were five ponies in the carriage.

Well, I don't mind.

After examining the very meager train composition, I took a seat closer to the window and began to peer into the view behind the train. After a while, the train started moving and began to pick up speed. Soon, when the train was already rushing at full speed to its destination, a pony in something similar to a work uniform entered the train. Judging by his face, he is already tired of work and is waiting for the end of the shift. He silently took the tickets of all the little ponies in the room and came up to me. I gave him a ticket, he did some kind of fraud with it and returned it to me. Having finished with me, he moved on through the cars.

I just had to look out the window of the train, behind which there was a picture that was already familiar to me. Rapidly passing trees and bushes merged into a single green mass. But this time there was nothing I could catch my eye on. Due to the lack of classes, I just had to look at the map.

I took the map out of my pocket and put it on the table. This one, unlike the last one, is much larger and better executed. Unfortunately, I was not given a compass. I have to navigate by the sun. Sighing from this realization, I began to study the map more deeply. The map shows in several large cities. Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Appleloosa and the capital Canterlot. There are also many small towns on the map that I didn't pay attention to. The map also shows the difference of the terrain. In the north there are continuous mountain ranges, in the south there are deserts and jungles, depending on the west or east and in the central strip of forest along with plains. In general, a very good map.

I folded the map several times and put it in my pocket. I took the ticket that I left on the windowsill. I looked at the ticket search of my stop. Stop location: Akmarene station.

I decided to hold the ticket in my hands just in case and just started waiting. At some point, my eyelids began to close due to lack of sleep, but I quickly gathered my strength and directed all my efforts to keep myself conscious. At some point, a voice came over the speakers installed on the train, as if coming from a very bad dynamics.

"Attention! The next station is Taillin. Arrival time is exactly five o'clock in the morning."

There was a bang and the speakers turned off. A strange union of the nineteenth century and the Middle Ages. I can't describe it any other way. Only now I noticed that there was a clock hanging on the far wall of the train. It's ten minutes to five in the morning.

I settled back in my chair and waited for my station.

"Attention! The next station is Akmarene. Arrival time is fifteen minutes to six in the morning."

"Finally," I muttered, getting up from my seat and heading for the exit. On the way out, I looked at the watch. Ten minutes of arrival. Stable. While I was waiting for the train to stop, I began to imagine what the soldiers I would have to train would look like.

Spoiled children who were pushed into the army with the help of money? Just lucky bastards? In any case, I will know for sure only when I meet them.

I heard the train start to slow down and immediately got ready to get out. The train finally stopped and I got out of it. While streams of ponies were rushing past me wanting to get on the train, I started looking for a crowd of fifty soldiers. Soon I saw how, far away from all the ponies, having occupied several benches, ponies with bat wings were located. They also wore black and lilac armor and spears, swords, axes and even bows were fixed on their backs. Probably everyone chose it himself.

It's probably them.

While I was approaching them, I heard two of them talking.

"Who do you think will be our captain?"

"I don't know, some millennial old man. Something like that. "

Some brown-eyed Thestral silently raised a hoof pointing at me.

"Where are you pointing, stutterer? - "Turned his head in my direction "- What do you need, Minotaur? " He asked in a rude manner

"There's your captain right in front of you. " I said, spreading my arms wide and ignoring his rudeness.

"Really? Then say something in the captain's."

I decided to go along with him for now, "If you don't pick up your asshole now and don't go to work, then I'll make you clean the toilet during all your time in the army! Got it, bastard?"

"Yes." Thestral said, standing up and saluting.

I took a couple of steps back and raised my voice so that everyone could hear me, "Now a little acquaintance is purely for the sake of us being able to interact with each other. I am Daniel Ctumer but you will call me sir. You are also very lucky to have me. All I require from you is the fulfillment of all my orders and nothing more. If you fulfill my requirements, maybe I will do something nice for you. But while the service is going on, you do everything I say without question. And believe me, if you don't fulfill my simple requirements, then you will not be well. Understand?"

All fifty soldiers collectively nodded.

"Great. Since you understand everything, here is my first order. -"I opened the map, found a military base on it and, having oriented myself by the sun, realized where to go. "-Follow me and keep up!" I said, running towards the base.

I deliberately ran not too fast so that they would not lag behind. Surprisingly gradually, one thestral began to catch up with me and began to keep about the same speed as me. He started talking to me in a very friendly voice

"Sir, did you plan this? I can't imagine such a good idea coming up right away."

I didn't glance in his direction and said, "If you want to make an impression, you're not doing well."

He decided to ignore my comment and ask his question "By the way, how long do we have to run like this?"

I looked at the map and replied, "About five miles."

"How much?" He asked with shock in his voice

I turned around to run backwards and see the soldiers. Continuing to maintain such a strange situation, I turned to my soldiers, "Don't relax, you ragamuffins! To get to your new home, you need to run five miles."

I heard the collective sigh of the soldiers and turned around to start running normally. Gradually, the pesky thestral began to lag behind and in general, the thestrals began to lag behind me. I jumped over a root that sprouted across the road and soon heard several thestrals fall.

They'll catch up somehow.

I continued my run and almost stopped hearing the sound of hooves. I had to slow down even more in order not to lose sight of my soldiers completely. As a result, I slowed down to almost a step and began to follow the squad like a shepherd following a flock. Seeing how everyone was lagging behind, I had to raise my voice again

"If you leave me alone, I will personally start kicking you in the ass!"

This roused the soldiers a little and they increased their speed. I was able to allow myself to speed up again and focus on the road. Soon I reached several overgrown buildings. I would have just brushed it off if it wasn't for the inscription on the concrete slab. Military base twenty-four.

I got up and began to inspect what was called a military base. One tall tower-like building that seems to fall apart at any second. A large building similar to a residential complex without glass and with roots sprouted in brick. And a smaller building that looks very fortified and has remained almost untouched by time.

I heard thestrals fall to the ground from exhaustion from behind and began to catch their breath. Turning back, I started counting the soldiers. While I was counting, the remaining ones just ran up.

I clapped my hands, attracting the attention of all those present and began to say, "Well, I have good news for you. As you can see, we have all been cruelly deceived. So today, instead of full-fledged training, you will establish order here. I'll give you three minutes to rest and then start cleaning up this mess."

Once again, I heard a collective sigh, but I did not dwell on it and went towards the uninjured building. While I was walking, the pesky Thestral followed me again.

"Where are you going, sir?"

I sighed because he was already starting to annoy me and replied, "I think there should be an arsenal there. Ideally, some kind of hammers to put this place in order. "

"How are we going to fix this? "

"I'll think of something. I'll find a couple of guys who got here and understand the repair. Even in the best case, I'm afraid I'll have to sleep on a concrete slab like Snoopy on a booth."

He ignored my reference and continued to say in his friendly voice, "Until you arrived, we managed to get to know each other. The guy who was called a stutterer is some kind of scientist or something like that. He said that he loves exact sciences and making drawings of buildings. I wonder how he ended up among us. "

"First of all, he is probably an architect. Secondly, I don't care how he got here, the main thing is that he is now useful. And finally you said at least something useful. Continue the trend and maybe I'll start considering you not dirt."

I noticed out of the corner of my eye how he nodded vigorously. I got to the supposed warehouse and with an effort opened the door. When I entered the room, I saw the sunlight illuminating rusty weapons and armor. Having entered the room, I began to actively peer trying to find something useful.

While I was looking for something useful in the dark, a pesky thestral called out to me, pointing somewhere into the darkness, "Maybe it is?"

I looked where he was pointing and looked at him like an idiot "You're just pointing into the darkness."

He went into the darkness and disappeared for a couple of minutes. I was about to follow him, but he came out of the darkness holding a toolbox in his teeth. I took and opened the drawer, which turned out to be a hammer, a saw and some nails. Will fit.

I took the box and headed to the tired soldiers, but first I gave an order specifically to this thestral, "Find more tools in the warehouse and take them out."

"Yes, sir!"

I shook my head and carried the box towards the waiting soldiers. None of them started working and decided to stall for time. Although I don't blame them for that. I shook my head and continued to them. When I got close enough to them, I started talking.

"Where's the silent one here?"

One thestral came out of the crowd looking emotionless. While he was walking, I was able to distinguish his differences from other thestrals. Brown eyes and grey fur. The mane is hidden by armor. It is quite light compared to other thestrals of black shades. When he got to me he began to speak very stammeringly

"D-D-Do you n-n-need me?"

I did not pay attention to his uncertainty and immediately got down to business, "I heard that you are an architect. Is that so?"

"Yes." he replied.

"I don't understand it at all, but you have to be good at it. Can you tell me how to fix everything here?" I said pointing my finger at the large building.

He looked and thought for a very long time, but gave a fairly detailed answer: "The roots d-d-do not n-n-need to b-b-be removed all at once. P-P-Part of the structure m-m-may c-c-collapse along with a p-p-piece of root. I think first we n-n-need to explore everything f-f-from the inside and understand w-w-what we c-c-can remove and w-w-what n-n-no. Something t-t-that w-won't t-t-take t-t-the b-b-building away w-with it, we c-c-can cut d-d-down t-t-together with t-t-the t-tree and t-t-then c-c-can walk with p-p-plaster. P-P-Probably have to p-p-partially rebuild. And of c-c-course n-n-need to put w-w-windows. "

"What materials will be needed? "

"C-C-Clay, w-w-water, g-g-glass and p-p-preferably plaster."

"I see." I said before I started thinking.

I'm afraid I can't leave the manual to him. He stutters too often. I'll have to stay here and manage the process. But to get the materials you need to get to Luna. We'll have to send someone to her. Damn the first day and I already have difficult tasks in front of me.

"Do any of you know where Canterlot is?"

I was met by the silence of the soldiers talking about their misunderstanding. I'll have to give them a map.

"Okay, which one of you is flying well?"

Almost instantly, a thestral appeared next to me, ready to fly, "I, choose me!"

"Hold the map well, fly to the city of Canterlot and find Princess Luna there. Tell them to send clay, more water, glass, parchment and ink here." I said, handing Thestral the map.

"What if she doesn't believe I'm from you?"

I paused a little to think and gave the answer, "Tell her what from me if she don't believe to you, say "total freedom of speech"."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What did I say about following my orders?" I said in a tone not suggesting an answer.

My answer was enough to make the Thestral fly. I looked around at everyone present again and there was only one question left for me to settle.

"Everyone line up in a row!"

They reluctantly obeyed and stood in an uneven row. I didn't pay much attention to this and continued to command, "Pay off the first, second, third!"

They looked at each other in disbelief and then turned to me "What?"

I sighed and went over to them to explain. Approaching the leftmost thestral, I pointed at it with my finger and said, "We count from left to right relative to the commander. You have to say first."I came to the next one. "- You have to say second."I went even further. "- You have to say third and then the score is reset. First, second, third, then again first. Understand? "

The Thestrals began to express their agreement and I, satisfied with this, took a few steps away from them. "Pay off the first, second, third! "

The leftmost thestral shouted "First. "

The next one said "Second. "

And the next "Third."

As soon as they finished, I took command again, "All the first ones go to that huge building. All the second ones go to that warehouse and bring the tools for first. Others are following me."

As a result, they split up and a crowd of about sixteen thestrals followed me. I led them in the direction of the forest and along the way began to give instructions.

"Everyone holds the formation! Everyone is following me."

I heard someone from the crowd asking, "Why are we going to the forest?"

I got up and turned around on the spot, "Glad you asked. You see, I just realized that we don't have enough food for fifty people. Therefore, you will collect food."

"Meat is not allowed?"

Unlike most of the questions, this one made me smile, "If you eat meat, then I have really good news. I'm great at cooking meat in the field."

For the first time that day, I met the crowd, though restrained, but still cheering.

Excellent. I'm as well as ever.

I led the soldiers deep into the forest in order to find some food. Soon some thestral came closer to me and started talking. His voice sounded very unique. A very strong wheeze, as if it were a hundred-year-old grandfather speaking and at the same time absolute calm.

"Sir, there seems to be some kind of animal nearby." Said the thestral, whom I singled out from the rest with jet-black fur and blue eyes.

I shushed him to keep his voice down, but still answered him in a whisper, "Really? I don't hear anything."

He nodded and also switched to a whisper, "I have good hearing, sir. Someone is walking about thirty yards away from us. Give or take two yards. I can't determine the exact location."

I couldn't help but ask him the question, "How old are you?"

"The same age as almost everyone here. Eighteen."

I looked at him suspiciously, but decided to postpone it for later. I took the information into consideration and began to study the area fluently. The bark is stripped in some places in large layers. In the worst case, a rodent, is at best an elk or a wild boar. I quietly gave the order to the soldiers, "Hide on the trees. I'll give the signal."

At first they started to protest sluggishly, but my look was enough to make them obey and start climbing trees. Fortunately, there were enough trees for everyone to find a place for themselves. I also climbed up a tree and waited.

After what seemed like an eternity, two wild boars ran into the clearing. It could be better, but it will go. I decided that I had to give my subordinates a chance, so I started creating an arrow rune and directed it to the sky. She flew out almost soundlessly and the first to react to her was the thestral who warned me. He quickly flew up to the boar and holding the spear with his wing quickly struck them in the heart of both boars. The animals did not even have time to squeak, but already managed to become prey.

I jumped down from the tree and went to the thestral, and took the carcasses of wild boars from him. I wanted to simplify my task, so I asked him a question.

"Can you take over the hunt?"

"Yes, I can handle it." He answered without thinking for a second.

"Great, then I'll do the cooking." I said, moving back to the camp, but already with the loot. Of course, not the most impressive, especially for fifty people, not counting me, but it will do. On the way to the camp, I began to collect various sticks to make a fire and cooking.

After a while I was able to get to the camp. Calves have already started to hurt from constant walking. I focused on the case and stacked the brushwood next to the concrete slab to protect the future bonfire at least on one side. After folding the firewood, I took two sticks and started trying to make a fire. Since I had time to train in the forest, it didn't take long for me to build a fire. For now, I left the carcasses of wild boars next to the fire and went to the arsenal for a knife.

There I saw how most of the thestrals lay down to rest. I loomed over them and started talking.

"You had one task. One elementary task. And you fuckers failed it not just with a bang, you failed it with an explosion!"

They quickly gathered and began to chaotically salute. I continued to hover over the thestrals and raised my voice again.

"Who gave you ragamuffins the right to rest?"

At first they looked like they wanted to give up, but suddenly one of them said, "We've already taken everything out."

From the depths of the warehouse came the voice of the pesky thestral "Nothing like that. We barely disassembled the tools here and there is an underground floor in the warehouse."

I approached the thestral point-blank, raised my voice and said directly invading his personal space, "I give you the choice of punishment. You don't have to thank me for my generosity. Option one, you can do ten laps around the entire base. Or you can go sparring with me right now. Whatever you chose it wouldn't free you from work."

"Sparring!" he said confidently.

I couldn't help but smile and said cheerfully, "Very good. We're going to fight now. Follow me."

I took a few steps back to hold the duel and at the same time not to interfere with others to work. As soon as we got into the right position, I started talking to the thestral liar again.

"Ready?"

He took his sword with his wing in a surprisingly human-like manner, "Ready."

I clapped my hands announcing the start of the fight and got into a fighting stance. He quickly ran towards me with a sword in his wing and struck aside the blow. But I jumped over his sword without any problems and kicked him in the head, then jumping back to give him another chance. He staggered from my blow and ran again charged with rage. Quickly getting closer, he struck down from above, but I again took a step to the side and hit him in the face, restraining the force so as not to knock him out. He staggered, but quickly gathered his strength for a stabbing blow. I stopped feeling sorry for him and made my answer faster than he could strike. I kicked the sword out of the wing and sent it flying. I hit him in the jaw from the bottom to the top, thereby stunning him and delivered the final blow to the chest, causing him to fly a dozen feet away.

I walked unhurriedly to the soldier and squatted down next to him to inspect the damage. A bruise on the bridge of his nose and chin and a small dent in his armor. I went a little too far. I tapped his head with my hand to wake him up and started talking.

"Your punishment is over now you can go back to work."

"You can't be serious," he said between breaths.

"Do you want to check?"

He immediately became active and trotted to the others who were already continuing to work. Remembering why I was originally headed to the arsenal, I went in his direction again. Approaching the arsenal, I shouted inside.

"Do you have any knife there?"

From the depths of the arsenal, I heard the answer of the thestral who pestered me, "I'll find it now, sir!"

I stood next to the door so as not to disturb the other soldiers and waited. Soon a thestral appeared out of the darkness, holding a long knife in his teeth. I took a knife and got a better look at this Pegasus along the way. Purple fur and yellow eyes. The mane is hidden by armor.

Pass me the knife he started to say in his friendly manner, "If it's not a secret, why do you need a knife, sir?"

"I'm cooking." I said, moving towards the fire.

He answered something, but I couldn't hear him, so I just continued walking to the campfire. When I got to the campfire, I began to prepare the carcasses of wild boars for cooking. Soon I was completely immersed in the process and lost track of time.

The sun is already high in the sky and most of the soldiers have finished their initial work. A lot of different tools were formed around the warehouse, hunters brought a lot of berries and a couple of small animals, and the big building was spared from the roots of trees, Of course there is still a lot of work to be done, but there is already successful. I was able to cook wild boars and small animals just by the time everyone finished work.

While I was slicing the food so that it was enough for fifty-one people, the tension from hungry thestrals began to be felt in the air. Soon I finally finished slicing the food and gestured with the thestrals that everything was ready. They reacted instantly and attacked the food almost starting a fight for it. Fortunately, I managed to pick up a piece of the boar while I was still cutting, so I didn't have to participate in the crush. Deciding to distance myself from this, I climbed onto a concrete slab and hung my legs from it, eating my food in parallel. A little bland, but it will go.

Finally, all the problems are settled. . . Fuck. I forgot about the patrol. Considering that the night guard sleeps at day, noon should be like midnight for them. I need to choose someone and assign them to patrol.

I looked down at my subordinates and saw that some had already finished while others were struggling to stretch the process. I beckoned with my hand to those who had already finished their meal. As soon as they got closer I started talking.

"In short, I have a case for you. Split up into two and guard the area. The priority is the trail to the camp and the campfire."

They already wanted to protest, but the threat in the form of a fist was enough to convince them. They reluctantly quickly divided into pairs and went to guard various places. I sighed and finally was able to lie down quietly on the concrete slab.

But my brain once again remembered the case. I reluctantly moved from a recumbent position to a sitting position and loudly announced.

"Everyone who is not assigned to guard, look for a place to sleep and go to bed." I said, making the soldiers a little happy.

The soldiers were divided into three groups. The first group chose a warehouse as an overnight stay. The second group chose a dilapidated building as an overnight stay. And the last third group decided to sleep by the campfire. After making sure that everyone was distributed in their places, I calmly lay down on the concrete slab and fell asleep.

Author's Note

Well, I was able to write a chapter faster than usual.