~Roy
I was on the battlefield again, on the day Polon started the war.
All the children, women, and elderly were lying next to me. As I walked among them, I suddenly saw my deceased friends lying on the ground. I clenched my fists, remembering why. The only way to achieve peace is to eliminate every evil person on the planet.
Then, the scene changed. I was walking through the void. There was only darkness. There was no sound or smell, only emptiness.
Am I dreaming? That was the only question that came to my mind.
I moved forward, unsure of where I was going, when suddenly, a bed appeared in the darkness. Someone was lying on it.
He looked dead. His eyes opened wide and cold, staring straight into mine. My body froze, trembling with fear.
"Who... who are you?" I asked.
There was no answer.
Then, everything around me disappeared. Now, he stood next to a long throne made of old, red wood.
His face was blurry, but his gaze was still on me. "This is your place, my son," he said in a deep, frightening voice. "You have gone too far. Wake up now before it's too late."
I couldn't speak. My lips moved, but no sound came out.
Suddenly, a little girl ran past me. That girl again. Her face was blurry, but I could see that she had long black hair and was wearing a simple white dress with a necklace around her neck. It was the same necklace I was wearing.
I reached out my hand, suddenly, I'm a kid again. "Wait! Who are you?!" She turned her head, smiling slightly, and then...
"Rooooy!"
Andrew's voice woke me from my dream.
"It's afternoon already! We've been sleeping for over ten hours!" he shouted.
I sat up with my eyes wide open. "What?"
I looked around. Right, we were still in the room, and it was late. For the first time in a long time, we had slept like that.
But what was that dream about? A throne, a dead man, and a blurry girl wearing my necklace. Is she the person who gave it to me? I was sweating a lot, and my chest was tightening. I really want to know who that little girl is and why my heart beats faster when I see her. It's the same familiar feeling I get when I encounter the princess.
"I didn't expect us to sleep this long," Andrew said, jumping out of the top bunk and stretching. "We were really exhausted."
"Yeah," I replied, still lost in my thoughts. "Let's stretch and go for a walk. I want to see how the camp is doing."
We went through our usual routine, got dressed in our uniforms, and went outside. The camp was already bustling with activity, and many of our fellow cadets had returned. Some were sitting around talking; others were reading on benches. It was the last day of stage three.
As we were walking along, Kylie appeared. She was with two other people. I felt she had the spirit to make it.
She saw me, ran over, and waved. "Roy! It's good to see you here. Did you arrive today?"
"Yes, I arrived at the dawn." I replied turning to Andrew. "With my brother." It was a good opportunity for them to meet.
"I'm Kylie. Nice to meet you."
Andrew gave his usual half-smile and nodded. "Andrew. Glad you made it."
Kylie smiled and said, "Thanks," then introduced us to her friends.
"This is Loyd," she said, pointing to the blond boy next to her. He wasn't tall, but he wasn't short, either. He seemed friendly and had a quiet smile.
"And this is Ria." The girl next to Loyd was short with short black hair, and she had a warm, kind look in her brown eyes.
"Nice to meet you," I said.
"Same here," Loyd replied cheerfully.
"We heard a lot about you during the war," Ria said with a smile looking at me. "It sounds like you've made a name for yourselves, they call you the red scarf, Roy."
Huh?! I've never heard that nickname before, but at least it's better than every other one.
Then, Kylie leaned over, lowered her voice a little. "Have you heard about the ranks?"
I shook my head. "Ranks?"
"They're going to give everyone a metal rank card. Now that Stage Three is over, they can finally rank us properly. After each stage, our rank can go up. That will help determine team formations." She replied.
Andrew raised his eyebrows. "What exactly is the point of that?"
Kylie explained, "Teams with higher-ranked students will get more exceptions. They'll get better missions, more resources, and faster promotions."
We ended the conversation with small talk and said goodbye.
After we walked away, Andrew said, "They seem friendly."
I nodded. "Yeah, Loyd and Ria have a positive vibe. Kylie is lucky to have them."
Now it's time, I have to go and see her at Last.
"I'm going to see the princess," I said to Andrew as I turned to leave.
He smiled. "Okay, I'm going to look for Crimzo and Sophia to see if they passed out like we did." He laughed.
I smiled and headed toward the prison room, but one question was on my mind: Why am I nervous? She's supposed to be a prisoner here, and I'm just supposed to ask her some questions. What are these feelings? Am I afraid that she might be related to my past? I took a deep breath and tried to relax, remembering to never let my emotions intervene because they are a weakness.
At the entrance, an instructor stopped me.
"I'm Roy," I said. "I have General Daniel's permission to see the girl."
The instructor looked me over closely. "There's a professional investigator with her right now. When he's finished, you can talk to her. Come back tomorrow."
I nodded. "Thanks," I muttered, walking away.
I felt a mix of sadness and relief, maybe because I really want to see her, but at the same time, I won't. Well... I guess I'll drop it for today.
I found Andrew shortly after. He had already gathered everyone. I don't know how he found them so quickly.
I approached him and he looked at me. "Hey, Roy!" he said, smiling. "Have you heard the news? Crimzo woke up a little while ago, too."
Crimzo crossed his arms. "I was recharging my energy as well," he said annoyed.
We exchanged small talk as we noticed new faces arriving. Some looked tired; others looked happy. But, at the end of the day, what matters is that they made it through.
The next morning, everyone gathered except Crimzo, who had disappeared. Unable to locate him, we proceeded without him and went straight to the board to check our results. As expected, we had succeeded. What caught my attention, though, was a new piece of paper titled "Cadet Rankings."
We have analysed your performance in various categories, such as physical strength, speed, survival instinct, and endurance. Based on your overall achievements, the following initial rankings have been determined. Please note that these rankings are subject to change according to the upcoming stages.
Oliver Patriot - Rank 1
Stephanie Lisa - Rank 2
James Will - Rank 3
...
Sophia Villa - Rank 35
.
Roy Celgius - Rank 38
.
Crimzo Lee - Rank 40
.
Andrew Celgius - Rank 44
...
Henry Loith - Rank 132
Please proceed to the administration office to receive your metal rank badge.
We are now down to 132 students, 20 of whom were eliminated after the second stage, meaning that 36 more were eliminated during the third stage.
But something caught my attention, James Will was ranked third. Lucas hadn't lost his mind after all. He was actually threatening us. We had to stay alert. Then there was Oliver... ranked first. That guy was still a mystery to me.
Andrew's voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Wait, why am I ranked lowest of all of us?!" he shouted in obvious annoyance.
Sophia couldn't resist and said to annoy him. "Well, well, I'm ranked higher than you. You have to talk to me with respect now."
Andrew let out an annoyed laugh. "Seriously, how did this happen?"
I stepped forward toward the list. "Maybe it's because we didn't participate in the second stage. The missing data probably pushed us down."
Sophia nodded. "Yeah, luckily we were among the first to arrive in the third stage. That helped us a little."
I shrugged. "Don't worry about it, this isn't the final ranking. We can still move up. The important thing now is to be careful and prepare for what's coming."
Andrew's expression turned serious. "Yeah... that guy James, he's not a joke."
We went to the administration office and picked up our metal cards. They were small and simple, with our names and ranks engraved on them. Then, we returned to our daily routine. As the sun set, I finally headed to Lily's cell. On the way, however, something caught my eye, so I approached it curiously.
Oliver stood in the middle of an open training yard. He held a real sword in his right hand. A small axe hung at his waist. Opposite him stood Stephanie Lisa, the girl who took second place. She was a tall girl with long red hair and sharp green eyes. She stood with a confident, powerful stance.
I had seen her fight and train before. She was very determined and strong, and I wasn't surprised that she was in the second rank when I saw her name. Seeing Oliver in first place, however, meant that he had exceeded all of my expectations.
Some students were already watching and whispering. Then, without warning, she lunged forward. Wait, are they using real swords? That's not allowed.
The sound of steel clashing echoed. They moved so fast, their steps sharp and calculated.
Oliver, however, was completely in control, easily blocking every blow she threw.
Stephanie swung with incredible force, aiming for Oliver's neck. He blocked the blow smoothly and changed its direction as if he could read her mind, moving to a blind spot. Then, he struck her. I was also surprised by her ability to block his attacks.
Within minutes, he disarmed her with a clean move. She stumbled back, her sword falling to the ground. She was breathing heavily but unharmed.
His two friends—the skinny one and the huge one I had seen before—were laughing confidently from the sidelines. It was as if they had never doubted the outcome.
Stephanie clenched her fists, picked up her sword, and walked away without saying a word. What happened here? Why did she attack him? I suppose it's none of my business. I won't ask.
Then, suddenly, Oliver looked at me.
He walked slowly and deliberately toward me. His voice was deep and loud.
"Roy..."
He stopped in front of me, he was as tall as I am, his eyes sharp. "I'm disappointed that someone like you is in a low rank like this. I had high hopes in you."
From when? Why are all the cadets here so unpredictable?
I remained calm. "I don't care what others think of me." I replied. "You can keep your expectations. I'm not here to meet them."
He stared at me for a moment, then turned and walked away. "You'd better go up quickly," he said.
I don't know why he's so interested in this, but I'll ignore it for now. After that, I continued on my way to see the princess. I convinced myself of the same thing I did yesterday: no emotions.
She was still sitting in the corner of her cell. She was wearing the same dress I had seen her in before, with my cloak wrapped around her shoulders. When she looked up and saw me, a slight smile appeared on her face.
"Ah, I haven't seen you in a long time, Roy."
I can't help but feel those feelings. Ignore them, Roy. But wait—I looked at her. Why is she still wearing the same clothes?
I sighed. "I had some things to do. May I ask why they didn't give you something else to wear?"
She looked away. "Well, they're not very nice here. At least they're giving me some food."
Her answer bothered me. Even if she's from another empire, she was a princess who hadn't done anything wrong. In my opinion, she didn't deserve to be treated that way, nor did she deserve to be here in the first place.
"I'll be back," I said, turning to leave.
I went upstairs and asked to speak with Yuri. He met me outside his office with his arms crossed, as calm as usual.
"So, how was the third stage?" he asked.
"It was difficult," I replied. "We ran into some problems on the way, but we got through them."
He nodded. "Oh, I've heard it all already. I'm glad you're all okay. Lucas is fine now, but he can't use his hand anymore because it's paralyzed. He'll be removed from service and imprisoned for an unknown period of time. This is after the men he recruited talked about everything."
I'm glad they took serious action. I smiled. "Thank you for telling me."
He smiled back. "You're welcome. So, what do you want?"
I paused for a moment. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor. About the princess. Could you at least let her bathe and give her some new clothes?"
He looked at me carefully. "I see. Are you trying to earn her trust?"
I smiled slightly. "Perhaps."
Well, I remembered what the professor had told me. Gaining her trust. And that's a good way to earn it too. Maybe it will be easier to talk to her.
He laughed softly. "All right. I'll allow it."
I actually told Yuri this because I feel differently about him than I do about the others. I feel comfortable around him, despite his high status here.
Then he turned around to enter his office. "Tensions are running high between the two Empires, and although negotiations are ongoing, King Drayton is furious. We'll be forced to make a deal soon, so hurry up."
I nodded, my expression serious. "I will. Thank you."
A little later, I headed for the cell. I had to be careful. Lily was actually very powerful. If I let my guard down, she could overpower me and escape. I took her to a private bathroom near the tower. It wasn't luxurious, but it was quiet. I handed her the clean clothes I had taken from Yuri. They were clean and simple.
"Take your time. I'll wait out here," I said.
She glanced at me. "I didn't expect that. You're actually kind."
I tried my best not to meet her gaze. "You deserve to be treated like a human being. That's all."
She smiled, went into the bathroom, and I turned away to wait.
When she returned wearing her new clothes, she looked completely different. Her hair was loosely styled, she was wearing a simple dress now, and she looked brighter. She looked more like herself. She didn't act strangely or try to do anything, but I stayed alert just in case. I noticed that she wasn't wearing her necklace this time.
On the way back, we didn't talk much, and I wondered when the right time to ask her would be.
After walking her to her cell, I paused before she went inside.
"Thank you, Roy. That meant a lot to me."
I just nodded. "You're welcome. I'll go now."
The questions were still running through my head, but in the end, I decided to follow the professor's advice. First, I had to earn her trust.
Three weeks passed. The daily training had pushed us all beyond our limits. I could feel it; my speed and strength had increased. I spent more time with Andrew and Sophia. Even Crimzo started showing up in the evenings and spending more time with us.
At one point, I finally saw the man Lucas had warned me about - James Will. He was tall and blond with short, curly hair. He had a strong build close to Andrew and was fast and skilled. He could be difficult to face. Like Lucas, he carried a dao sword.
Surprisingly, though, he never approached us. He gave off a calm impression and acted unassuming. I didn't ask about him, either, as that would have made me look suspicious.
I visited Lily frequently as well. I didn't ask her anything of my questions, nor interrogate her. I kept the conversations simple and made sure she was okay and that she didn't need anything. My plan was simple. I wanted to gain her trust. And over time, I became more comfortable with my feelings. I really felt different around her.
And finally, after a month, the fourth stage was announced. It was the afternoon after our routine ended. I was sparring with Sophia, who had improved significantly. She is really a quick learner and fights smartly. I could definitely say that she's a genius.
Then, Crimzo rushed over to us, his face tense. "You have to come see this," he said.
Andrew, who was watching, said, "It looks like the time has come."
We followed him to the board.
Stage IV announcement.
To all Cadets, Stage IV begins in one day. All cadets will be placed in the Chyfa Forest for an entire week.
There are 90 flags scattered throughout the forest. To pass this Stage, you must secure one flag before the end of the week. Failure to do so will result Elimination from the program.
Please note:
Bringing food or survival materials is not allowed.
You are only allowed to carry your weapons and a limited medical kit, which must be approved by the instructors.
This stage is extremely dangerous, as you could be seriously injured or even killed. There will be no help of any kind until the end of the stage. Unless it's a deadly situation.
Any cadet who attempts to leave the forest before the deadline will face serious penalties in addition to being eliminated. Patrol units and observation posts will surround the forest and monitor the main exit routes. All exits will be guarded.
However, you may show up during the Stage and surrender to the instructor only through the main pathway. Doing so will result in elimination from the program and a temporary suspension from your service.
If you feel unfit for this stage, you may submit an official letter of resignation now until tomorrow before it begins.
Know that to rise in rank, you may take more than one flag or collect the red tokens scattered throughout the forest.