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“A great warrior trusts not his weapons, but himself. When you possess true strength, you can deal a killing blow even if all you have is a blade of grass.
“you may act lazy and foolish, but I have seen your heart. A bright and tenacious flower will not bloom in obscurity.”
Creation seems to favor making friends of those destined to be enemies.”
“Ah, flattery does not suit you, Master Garu,” Jia said, laughing. She turned serious after a moment. “Tell me, where do you think you’ll be in ten years?” “I have no idea,” Kuni said. “All life is an experiment. Who can plan so far ahead? I just promise myself to do the most interesting thing every time there’s an opportunity. If I can stick to that promise most of the time, I’m sure in ten years I won’t have any regrets.”
Sir, a reformed man is worth ten men virtuous from birth, for he understands temptation and will strive the harder to not stray.”
“Emperor, king, general, duke,” he whispered to himself. “These are just labels. Climb up the family tree of any of them high enough and you’ll find a commoner who dared to take a chance.”
If you try to obey the law, and the judges call you a criminal anyway, then you might as well live up to the name.”
The best followers are those who think it was their own idea to follow you.
Mere coincidences. What is fate but coincidences in retrospect?
A man’s circumstances are not determined by his talents, Crupo thought, but by where he chooses to put his talents to work.
“Understanding nature is as close as men can get to understanding the gods,” the old man said.
“It’s like the start of a deer hunt: Many are in the field, brandishing their bows and spears, but as for who will bring down the stag, there is no way yet to know. How the hunt will end is up to all of us.”
“All life is a great game,” Kuni said. “In war, there are no certainties. If you aren’t willing to gamble, you’ll never win.”
A man who willingly acknowledges his own weakness is strong in his own way.
A lord who knows how to wield men is ten times more fearsome than one who knows only how to wield a sword.”
His life was about being fed, being paid, and being bored for long stretches, interspersed with brief flashes of terror and extraordinary exertion. War was not good for anyone except those in charge.
“Strength comes from inside the heart, Lord Garu. If your heart has no center, then you will drift without purpose.”
The grace of kings is not the same as the morals governing individuals.”
