Ansel's head lolled against the steam carriage's window, as his eyes glazed over the scenery outside. It had already been an hour, and the comfortable environment of the council housing district had already given way to the chaotic atmosphere of Farrah's lower-class residential district.
Large apartments rose tens of meters into the air, with scaffolding strewn haphazardly between buildings. People dangled off ledges and sat huddled over in alleyways. It wasn't the prettiest sight— but it was nothing compared to The Federation's lower layers.
"Are you feeling nervous?" The steam carriage hissed, letting out a cloud of steam as if responding to Pengal's question.
"Yeah." Ansel tersely responded. Peeking his head out the window, Ansel could make out the head of the carriage, which resembled a tractor— yet the design was more dignified, carrying the authority of the Unity Department.
"It's all right to feel nervous, little Ansel." Pengal leaned back on his seat, watching Ansel with a curious gaze. "But the academy isn't just a place to make friends and have fun."
Ansel's nostrils twitched as he inhaled the smoggy air of the residential district. Stifling a cough, he closed the carriage window and faced Pengal directly. "That's why I'm worried." Ansel admitted, "...since that day seven years ago, I haven't been able to use my accessed art."
"You'll get in time, don't worry."
"How can you be so sure?" Ansel looked back out the window, staring at his own reflection. "I know how competitive the academy is... so I won't stand a chance without being able to use my power."
"That's true. If you're not an accessor, then you don't have a place at The Unified Training Academy."
"Then, why am I—"
"You ARE an accessor, little Ansel." Pengal leaned forward, interlocking his fingers. "You don't have to be worried. I have a feeling... it'll all work out in the end."
"Are you sure? You personally vetted me... and If I don't have the skills to back up your recommendation, wouldn't that hurt your reputation too?"
"I wouldn't have made that deal if I wasn't fully confident in your abilities." Pengal's right eye twitched, scrolling back through years of footage to return to that one scene from the bazaar. "Ansel," Pengal spoke clearly, "I don't have any doubts. And I won't have any regrets."
"...then what do I need to do?"
"The only thing that you need to do at this moment," Pengal smiled, "Is just believe in yourself a little more."
"...That's it?" Ansel met Pengal's gaze.
"That's it."
The journey carried on for another hour, and the steam carriage ventured further into the depths of the residential districts. The carriage traveled at a paved road by the garden's edge— the infinite sky stretching out beside it, seeming so close, but just out of reach. "...feeling homesick already? Heh, don't worry, you're still in Farrah."
"That's a big cloud." Ansel pressed a finger against the glass, pointing at a large storm-cloud, roaring from across the horizon.
"Don't worry, it won't come our way." Pengal sighed, "...and a cloud like that is nothing compared to the Grand Cloud."
"The Grand Cloud?" Ansel's eyes lit up, "...you've actually seen it?"
"Not me, but my old teacher from the academy did. People used to call him the Unity Department's greatest soldier." Pengal went silent, contemplating for a few moments, "...he even got to visit The Empire once."
"Seriously!?" Ansel leaned forward, his eyes as wide as saucers.
"Yes. He didn't stay for long, and the journey itself took a couple of weeks, but he visited Grenzgarten. He went with some officials from The Federation to discuss a transfer..."
"A transfer?"
"He was so skilled, that The Empire's Golden Force wanted to recruit him. Isn't that funny? The Great Sky Empire... trying to recruit a gutter-rat from The Federation."
"Did... he accept?"
"No, he turned them down on the spot. Us lower-layer citizens may be gutter-rats, but we're proud about it. And stubborn as well." Pengal stretched his arms out wide, "...and If I'm being completely honest, I prefer living in The Federation. Not to say I know what living in The Empire is like, but... I don't like snobby people who look down on others."
"Neither do I, Uncle Pengal." Ansel nodded, "...but even if only for just a moment, I want to see the empire, and the upper layers of the sky. The air must be so nice up there."
"..."
"...but still, I'm happy to be living in the sixth layer," Ansel smiled, "It's where my friends and parents are, after all." Ansel's eyelids began to grow heavy, but he fought against the urge to sleep. A small, gray cloud drifted overhead— and a light rain began to patter down on the carriage's chassis. "...But, uncle Pengal, why did The Empire want to recruit your teacher?"
"I..." Pengal's voice drifted off, "...I'm afraid you'll have to ask him that yourself."
"You're teacher's still alive? How long ago did he train you?"
"Wait, Ansel... how old do you think I am?"
* * *
"We're here." Pengal's voice snapped Ansel awake.
When he opened his eyes, a soft breeze blew into the carriage, tussling his hair. Outside the window was the academy's forecourt. It was paved with stone bricks, seeming to stretch out to the horizon.
The area was filled with students, already dressed in their uniforms— ready to start their journeys at the academy. The sheer amount of other people gathered in one place was nerve-racking to Ansel. It was his first time looking at the system he was about to enter; the pathway he would need to take to become a Unity Officer.
"Someone will come to escort you soon," Pengal spoke, following Ansel's gaze, "You'll get your uniform from admin, and then you'll be escorted to your dorm."
"You're not going to come with me?"
"Well, I have some other business to attend to at the school. And other students will start asking questions if they see you walking around with the second squadron's lieutenant."
"Oh, right..." Ansel looked down, a faint dejected expression on his face.
"Hey look, little Ansel," Pengal leaned over, "...the students you're going to meet today have been training their entire lives. They risked their bodies and their pride in the entrance examinations—"
"While I just got in without a single ounce of effort," Ansel's brows furrowed, "...Do you think this was a good idea? What if they hate me?"
"...so what?" Pengal placed a hand on Ansel's shoulder, "Just ignore what everyone has to say. Go about your day with a straight face and get things done. Just do that, and you'll be fine."
"...okay—"
The door swung open, and a unfamiliar woman stood outside. Her light-brown hair was pulled up into a severe bun, and a pencil skirt accentuated her waist. Her lips were painted with a shade of violent red that emphasized her glaring eyes.
"Oh..." Ansel gulped, 'She looks strict...'
The woman simply stared at Ansel, her eyes somehow narrowing even further. Watching Ansel shrink further back, her lips curved into a smile. She burst out into laughter, holding her head back.
Pengal shielded his ears from her cackling, looking at Ansel with an apologetic expression.
"Geez, kid... don't be so uptight!" The woman said, stifling her laughter. She extended her hand like a cuckoo clock, maintaining a friendly smile, which in addition to the rest of her facial features, made her seem manic. "I'm Linda Linda. You can call me Mrs. Linda, or Linda. Pick your poison! I'll be showing you around today—"
"Linda... Linda?" Ansel's spoke out in confusion, before realizing he was talking to a member of the school staff. "Oh!" He grabbed his own mouth, "Sorry! I-I uh... didn't mean to—"
"Didn't I tell you to stop being so uptight?"
Ansel's throat went dry. 'The death glare is back...'
Then, her smile broke out again like nothing had ever happened. She brought a finger up to her lips as she spoke, "...well, about your question. I actually used to be Linda Smith. But then I met John Linda, and then I married John Linda. I thought being Linda Linda sounded more unique; less like some boring extra character and... more like the protagonist's eccentric yet hilarious yet badass older female friend / mentor / guide—"
"Linda." Pengal peeked his head out. "Please stop rambling. My head hurts."
"Oh, lieutenant!" Linda stiffened up. "The board's waiting for you, sir!" She said with a salute, watching as Pengal exited the carriage.
Pengal turned back to Ansel, placing a hand on his shoulder. "...Good luck."
"Come along." Linda walked ahead of Ansel, leading him through the school's campus.
Ansel was slack-jawed. The school was bigger than he had expected; full of open areas, some grassy, some paved. First-year students walked to-and-fro with single-minded focus, already used to the change of environment. Older students had already retreated to their dorms or training rooms. The sound of shattering glass and denting metal wafted through the air like a violent symphony.
Linda led Ansel to the Admin building. The ceiling was roughly twenty meters tall, and school staff dressed in business attire dashed across the main lobby. It became obvious to Ansel, 'This is a business... not a school.'
"Ansel Einchalle, right?" Linda walked towards a storage room, hidden at the end of a long corridor attached to the main lobby.
"Y-yeah, that's me." Ansel awkwardly dawdled in the hallway as Linda began to rummage through stacked cardboard crates.
"I've already taken the liberty of personally... uh, registering you with the system." Linda spoke, bent over as she dug through a cardboard box head-first. "...you know, I've actually heard about you before."
"You.. have?"
"Yeah, seven years ago. I was a member of the second squadron with Lieutenant Pengal."
"Seven years ago..."
"I'm a hearing accessor, you see?" Linda took a break from rummaging to wiggle her ears, "I can see these invisible strands coming out of everyone's ears, and I can connect those strands to form a verbal communication channel."
Linda dove back into a cardboard box, "...what size shirt do you wear again? Oh, never mind..." She pulled out like a spring, holding a packaged academy uniform. "But, as I was saying, I was quite popular in the second squadron. My powers usually came in handy for all sorts of missions."
"Does that mean you were there when Uncle Pengal visited me that one day?" Ansel accepted the uniform from Linda, tucking it under his arm.
"Well, I was there in spirit. Lieutenant Pengal came asked me to hook up his and Mika's ears. Then he made me swear not to tell a single soul." Linda exited the storehouse, closing the door. "That means he obviously finds you to be someone important, Ansel."
Ansel's fingers nervously tightened their grip on his uniform— the plastic packaging crumpling from the stress.
"I'm not going to pry, don't worry," Linda chuckled, walking back towards the lobby, "I'm just saying that I expect some great things from you, protagonist."
"Protagonist?" Ansel jogged to catch up with Linda.
"Alright, alright... come on, I'll get you your dorm key."
* * *
Ansel's dorm was modest— containing one bed, some decent space to lounge about, and attached bathroom. Ansel expected his uniform, spreading it out on the bed. It was all gray— a similar color to the cloaks of proper Unity Officers. The academy vest was thin and flexible, and the dress shirt was soft to the touch.
"It feels so nice..." Ansel murmured. Though he grew up comfortably as the son of a councilman, he rarely indulged in luxury. Feeling the expensive material of well-made clothing helped Ansel realize how the extent to which the simplest item could be mastered in quality.
Donning his uniform, Ansel gazed upon himself in the mirror. His collar went up around his neck, and his dress shirt fit him tightly like a second skin, accentuating his thin build. His hand reached behind his back, feeling for the strands of hair that flowed from his scalp. He smoothed out his hair, before exiting his dorm into the male dorm wing's main hallway.
Ansel turned around and shut his dorm's door. The sounds of two doors closing simultaneously rang throughout the wing. Slowly turning to the left, Ansel met the gaze of a boy— blonde, braided hair and piercing blue eyes.
"Yo," the boy spoke, "...who are you?"