The Youngest Soldier by Moto Maratai
"No wall stands forever. Only duty stands forever."--Kaiu Hosaru, A Perfect Cut
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There once was a young soldier--the youngest, in fact--who thought a lot. When other soldiers drilled, he sat on a rock, pondering the way things were and the way things weren't.
One day, as they were marching, he saw how sometimes the general gave orders to the entire army, and sometimes the general allowed his commanders to give orders for him. Being a brave soldier, he asked the general why this was so.
The general, who was a reasonable sort, said to the youngest soldier, "The reason soldiers obey is that I have authority. And when I delegate authority, my commanders have it too."
Most other soldiers would have accepted this answer. This soldier was thoughtful, though, so he asked, "What is authority? Can you show me what it looks like?"
The general thought for a while. "It's not something you can always see."
"How can you give it away if you can't see it?"
The general smiled and said, "Sometimes, the more you give away, the more you have. Your mission is to find out how. I suggest you start by asking Crab."
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