--It's been four weeks since the incident with the machines,-- Huis thought.
--No one knows anything about Murd. I know Cynthia took him, but that's all. It's strange; it's probably the longest we've been apart since we met. I thought it was odd that they postponed the Emperor's conference. Apparently, a problem with something like a rift has kept him busy,-- Huis thought, scribbling in a notebook.
Knock, knock.
The sound of the door opening pulled Huis from his thoughts.
"Hey, Huis, get out of your room quickly! It's the Emperor's conference today. Seron says we should dress in our finest clothes!" Kida called out, trying to hurry Huis along.
"Okay, okay."
"Please don't rush me. I'm nervous today." "I'll clean my room and then I'll go," Huis replied.
"Go find Churn," Huis added.
"Okay!" "If you don't leave that room after I go wake Kida, I'll break down the door and drag you out!" Kida said as he ran out of the dormitories.
"Damn, he's such a pain!" Huis thought as he opened the closet.
Ten minutes later...
"Damn it, I hate this," Kida said, adjusting his shirt collar.
"Shut up, this is important for us. According to Seron, this presentation will likely define our future; it all depends on the Emperor's mercy," Verju replied to Kida's words.
"The Emperor's mercy? What have you become?" Kida retorted.
"Keep your voice down, Kida! We could get into trouble for what you're saying," Verju said.
"You're acting really weird," Kida replied.
"This is important..." Verju tried to say, but the loud ringing of a bell echoed throughout the area.
"Shut up! Screw you both! We need to hurry! The conference starts in ten minutes!" Huis exclaimed, almost shouting.
"Damn, that's funny. They should have argued for another ten minutes," Churn said.
"Churn, shut up, please," Huis said angrily as he headed toward the castle's main hall.
"We have to follow him," Verju said.
"I'll go with you, but you're still acting really weird, Verju," Kida replied.
"It's nothing," Verju whispered, almost to himself.
The light from the main hall illuminated the boys' faces as they passed hundreds of lit chandeliers that lit up the entire place.
"It's incredibly beautiful," Huis said.
"The difference from the day we arrived is astonishing," Kida added.
"I think it's a bit over the top," Churn commented, covering his eyes.
Huis and Kida alternated their gaze between Churn and the wide hall.
"You're an idiot," Kida said, looking at Churn.
"Why?" "Are we going to start insulting each other all of a sudden?" Churn replied. "I really don't like this light."
"Shut up and go," Verju said sternly as he headed to the end of the corridor.
"Well, we're all a bit aggressive today, aren't we?" Churn said as he started walking after Verju.
The others followed them, and before long, they reached the end of the corridor. The sun shone brightly on the group, highlighting their elegant, low-quality, but still stylish black uniforms.
"I really hate this," Churn said, using both hands to cover his eyes.
"You're very sensitive today, aren't you?" Huis said to Churn.
"It would be impossible not to be. Seron made him train for almost three days straight," Verju added.
"I think I've slept thirty minutes in the last four days," Churn said, squinting.
"It's your fault. You started by saying you loved martial arts," Huis said.
"Damn, you think I don't know that? He's not even trying to teach me any techniques; he just tortures my body every day," Churn replied.
"You don't complain too much, though. Your stats improved a bit, didn't they?" Kida asked.
"Yeah, the training is terrible, but my stats went up a little," Churn replied, thinking.
--[Status]--
[User Status: Churn] Rank: F
Strength: F+
Agility: E-
Stamina: F+
Perception: F
Mana: F
Charm: C+
—Damn, that torture actually did some good— Churn thought.
"And how are you two doing? I know Kilren was teaching you two something," Churn said, looking at Kida and Huis.
"Well… I suppose. Her training was difficult at first, but we adapted well. Now, I think if I concentrate, I can neutralize her magic. What do you think, Huis?" Kida asked. "It's strange. Her gravity magic affected us a lot at first, but then it became easier to handle. I can't find a way to reduce it, but it's much easier to resist it or find a weak point."
--[Status]--
The word flashed through Kida and Huis's minds.
[User Status: Kida]
Rank: F+
Strength: F
Agility: F
Stamina: F+
Perception: F+
Mana: F+
Charm: B
[User Status: Huis]
Rank: F+
Strength: F+
Agility: F
Stamina: F+
Perception: E-
Mana: F
Charm: B
"How are things going with the knights, Verju?"
"Fine," he said as he walked toward the large garden, thinking:
--[Status]--
[User Status: Verju]
Rank: F
Strength: F+
Agility: F
Stamina: F+
Perception: F-
Mana: F
Charm: B+
"Okay, you don't seem very friendly today," Churn said.
"I suppose your training is a bit of a drag too," he added, his voice trailing off as they hurried to keep up.
Everyone followed Verju, who was approaching an imposing figure with stark white hair: Seron Falconwing, Second Knight of the Empire and right-hand man to the Grand Knight.
Seron looked visibly overwhelmed. Dozens of workers swarmed him, thrusting permits in his face and shouting consultations.
"Damn it, neither Rina nor Marco are here. This is eating me up inside," Seron thought, rubbing his temples. "I don't know how they make this look so easy."
Seron's gaze fell upon the approaching boys. A look of relief crossed his face, using them as the perfect excuse to escape the nightmare. He turned and addressed the workers surrounding him in a firm, authoritative tone.
"I'm sorry I can't answer any more questions. Unfortunately, I must attend to my disciple and his friends," Seron said, gesturing to Churn and the group. "If you have any further questions, please direct them to Miss Kilren; she'll be happy to help."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned his back on the frustrated workers and walked toward the boys.
"My dear disciple, how are you?" Seron said as he approached the group with a creepy smile that didn't match his imposing knightly figure.
"Hello, Seron," Churn said, his expression twisting into one of pure unpleasantness.
Seron's smile twitched, but he didn't lose his composure. "I already told you not to call me Seron. I am your master, and you are my disciple. A little respect wouldn't kill you."
"Well, guys, how are you? Are you ready for today? I was able to speak with the emperor, and he's really excited to meet the people of your world," Seron said with the same creepy, stupid smile.
He fixed his gaze on Huis and Kida and added, "Kilren told me you're doing very well. Every day your talent surprises me more. I hope you're not as badly behaved as this disciple of mine."
Churn opened his mouth, trying to say something, but Seron continued without giving him a chance. "Verju, how are you feeling today? I know I told you it was a very important conference, but you shouldn't be so worried. Go on, relax those shoulders."
"Yes, sir," Verju replied.
"We should get settled. Oh, I forgot to give you these," Seron said.
Four badges with a sword and shield appeared in Seron's hand. Churn's badge had a red orb in the center, signifying his status as Seron's disciple. Huis's and Kida's badges had small gray orbs, marking them as disciples of Kilren, while Verju's featured a small brown orb, representing his place as a part of the Empire.
"Take care of your badges. You are now under the protection of the Empire," Seron said, his voice now inspiring deep respect.
Churn grabbed the insignia and put it on without saying much, just like Huis and Kida. Verju put hers on while looking admiringly at Seron.
"Go to your tables; they should be near where I'll be sitting," Seron instructed.
The boys nodded and started walking toward their assigned places. Passing through a large archway made of flowers and leaves, they found dozens of tables arranged in an orderly fashion. It didn't take them long to find theirs, which was relatively close to where the Emperor was supposed to appear.
"How are we all going to fit in here?" Churn said, looking at the layout.
Despite the dozens of tables, it would be foolish to think that the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people present could possibly fit in such a space.
"Are you an idiot or something? The tables are only for gentlemen, people from the other world who are considered important, and minor nobles," Verju said. "Look at the barricades surrounding us; that's where everyone else will be watching the presentation. And before you ask, the high-ranking nobles will be on the pillars."
"Okay, fine, it wasn't that hard to answer politely," Churn replied.
"That was to be expected, anyway. This area is as big as a small city," Huis added, taking in the vastness of the space.
Kida laughed, and Churn didn't try to answer. Everyone fixed their gaze on the small palace—if you could even call it that—standing right in front of them. The Emperor was set to emerge from there in just a few minutes. All the surrounding pillars matched the palace's design, making the entire scene look beautiful.
As the minutes passed, everything began to fill up—the tables, the areas surrounding the barricades, and, little by little, the pillars. Everything was finally prepared for the arrival of the Emperor.
The boys continued to stare at the palace. "Another world, right?" Huis whispered.
"Yes..." everyone responded at the same time.
Everything went dark for a few seconds until a star illuminated everything. The Emperor had arrived.
**********
Minutes before...
"I really shouldn't be here. Everything would be a lot easier for the two of us if I had stayed at the mansion; I'm just wasting my time," the purple-eyed young man said.
"Yes, Murd, you really should be here," Cynthia replied. "I told Cal I'd introduce him to you today. You can take advantage of the day to go see your friends or meet new people. Plus, you look great today."
Murd grunted, "But I really look handsome today," Murd thought as he admired his reflection in the mirror. He wore a striking black suit adorned with dozens of purple stones that made his eyes stand out. His body, already trained to an incredible state, made him look truly imposing.
As Murd continued to contemplate himself, a sudden darkness swallowed him whole, pulling him out of his thoughts. Then, a star illuminated the world and fell towards the palace.
--I take back everything I said--, Murd thought.-- This may not be a waste of time after all.--