Even if shielded inside the sturdy spaceship, the commotion animating the base was barely muffled, and the two girls could listen to agonizing rattles of many engines. Around them, neffs from all around the federation were landing, shoving waves of young like them onto the barren asphalt covering the ground. Most of them seemed lost, following blankly their superior accustomed to the uncharted mess that described the landing zone. Anil opened the rear door, and with it came a chilling wind that blew through them.

If Gwen was too ecstatic to care about the weather, Camille felt it down to her bones. Her chest was heavy, cramped by apprehension as she walked toward the opening. She could listen to the many voices, as many as pairs of eyes that would witness her presence. Clenching her clammy hands, she tried her best to control her racing heart before laying a foot on the tarmac. Her game moved around her, right to left, staring at everyone without an ounce of shame. A flow of people moving around, all looking for their destination without offering a single glance to a usual girl.

Her tension fell down in a go, vanishing with her childish expectation. She couldn’t hide her surprise, no one cared even a little about her. Never such comportment would have happened in her previous life, she had always been the centre of attention. Yet, on this day and for the time of her life, she was just one among others.

- Why are you standing still like a poll? Are you taking root? Let’s go Camille, we need to grab your uniform at the stock. We still have an hour before the opening ceremony, and I don’t want to stand in the line for forty minutes.

The boy advised the pile of cloth left behind in the neff. Usually, he should have let the trainees carry them, but he was no monster. Never Gwen would be able to bring all her stuff by herself.

- Stupid noble and their advantage! I will fetch someone to take them to your barrack. Let’s focus on setting you up for the moment. Follow me! We need to hurry before the entrance ceremony!

As they began to walk between the numerous neff, Gwen started to ask questions again. The girl was looking everywhere, but this time anticipation was not driving her spirit. Even if she had chosen this life, she was still a child, and the local cacophony was a bit too much. Their noble’s way of life was infinitely different, and the ecstatic ambience of the base became oppressing for the two high-born.

- Wha-What is this ceremony about? Is it important?

- The most important one during your first month of training. The only one also, but that’s not the points. He joked a bit before going back to more serious matter. Little tips, listen well because they will say a lot of useful stuff. And even more important, don’t stare at people. And the taller they are, the more you should avoid them! Some young are hot-blooded and could smash you up for no reason.

- Would officer not stop it? Asked Camille while swallowing. They would not leave us fighting right?

- Yes, they would come to stop you. Just, don’t expect them to be quick… Not faster than a valag who want her fist in your face or a tackle from a nog’lon. Believe my experience, you will see blood before the end of the day.

Camille’s gaze moved around her, taking some time to watch out for the numerous soldiers walking around them. She was taking her comrade recommendation strictly as it surprised her not that low cultured barbarian would turn on their kindred. It was easy to spot the difference between new trainees and soldiers. Those last were all wearing military fatigues, a grey urban camo pants couple with a form-fitting black shirt and seemed a tiny more civilised than their younger counterpart.

Most of them seemed to not care about the terrible weather of the planet. Above them clusters of obscure cloud were hiding the blue sky. Together with the concrete, it gave to the place a boring look. Lacking any pretence to beauty and diminished to the simplest design, barely enough for the place to work as intended. It was a total shift from her past life, but she had been expecting it as the Earth base was similarly disgusting.

In the middle of the fray, the girl’s eyes were laid on the first MEA of her life. The mobile exo-armour was an old beast that had seen some action during her short life. About five meters high, the heavily armour covering it had been darkened by dirt and dust. Camille felt squishy as she walked past the thing, with a single move, it could have crushed her.

How can someone be inside that thing?

From an outsider’s vision, MEA seemed heavy and clumsy. She could not conceive the metallic monster moving, and even less with the same ease as her own body. She had not the same reserve for the smaller version of the steel giant. Mobile exoskeleton, MES, had been extensively used by the federation military even before the vlin’ns war. Suppose to protect the soldier on the front line, the regular infantry still used them and even the MEA pilot would wear one as the powerful armours were only extension of those.

Quite a lot where painted, displaying vivid pallets and unique ideogram supposed to portrait their owners and squad. The artistic vision was tribal at best, but more to the girl interest than the abilities of the canvas the soldiers were using.

As they walked next to another MEA, without warning, this one moved his legs. Taking a step toward the small group, the two girls hid behind their guide. Anil also reacted to the loud metallic noise, only with absolute serenity. A suspicious gaze moved to the green giant as the boy recognised without effort his comrade.

-Private Remzi! Did I manage to catch you landing without explosion? What append during the break?

From the supposed head of the MEA came a robotic voice, consumed by interference until it became almost inaudible.

- Private Keiner, still not fixed that out-vox? I heard you died… A shame it was all a lie.

- Yeah! I lived… Even if I can’t recall much of the last few weeks. How was it on this Earth of yours? Go laid with some nobles?

- God! Koli was with me. She would have killed me if I had even thought about it. Sorry Naid, I need to bring my trainees to the quartermaster. Repair your com before the squad leader come back or she will destroy you.

- Wait! Those are nobles? Was not expecting you to come back with anyone…. Welcome to the rank ladies!

The MEA’s hand moved to repeat the typical military salute he had done so many times before. His left hand straight near his body while his left fist closed on the opposite elbow to draw a clear line in the middle of his chest.

Gwen instantly mimicked him with enthusiasm, Camille followed the movement with more reluctance. The girl felt stupid doing so and promptly ended the gesture praying for no one to have seen her. Paradoxically, it distressed her as she had the impression to do everything badly. How could her comrade care so little? What would everyone say?

- Stay near me! Some of them could try horrible things.

Anil awoke her from the reverie in which she found herself lost. The boy was already going, and she had to run a little too caught up with them.

Maybe I’m just thinking too much?

- Anil… What kind of thing could they try? She asked before realising she rather not know. Maybe don’t…

- Glad you asked! He jumped overjoyed to be able to tell another of his stories. Last year, one of the trainees didn’t follower properly and was found ten minutes later without hair. Another got some pretty tattoo over his face, which is definitely funny if you want my mind.

- That’s… not too bad…

- Those are only the easy one. I have seen someone get strapped to a neff one time! I’m not even sure if he survived…

Both suddenly closed on him, watching their back to prevent any rogue with devious taste to tie them to a spaceship. Camille took the same time to mind her older pear. Most of them stood between her age and nineteen and more than a third of them were human or looked so. Among the others, she could easily distinguish the notorious nog’lon and many sul’doth. A few vlin’ns could be see here and there and had no problem interacting with the other species which she found amazing as ten years ago they were still mortal enemies.

The last major race present were the valag’Fend, a race related to human and Vlin’ns. The trainee had not heard many things about them, but knew the females were both strong and temperamental. If she saw quite a lot of them, not a single male was in sight. The girl recalled they were far weaker physically, but welded strong electro psychic ability.

Not everyone was among the five prominent, and a few lesser species were lost in the fray. The military base was like a reproduction of the federation at his core, all bound by duty to serve for their country. She later realized that most of the young were reuniting with their fellow squad mates and it explained the racket in the base. It was like the first day at school only here, trainees would take the dust of their MEA and MES and weapons had replaced books in their bags.

All of these took place in the centre of a block of long, rectangular, and boring buildings. Over the large doors had been written numbers, similar to the one previously used by Koliane to present herself, their squad identification. They were like little home, a place where squads would assemble at the end of the day before going to sleep, laughing and talking like she would have done with her family on Earth. She remembered Anil talking about that and if his explanation sounded odd at first, she could glimpse at the concept.

It took them a long and arduous ten minutes of walk to arrive near the quartermaster office. The building had nothing of that and was more a giant warehouse, a cube two hundred meters long where one could find anything he could need. A line of trainees was standing in front with their related guide. The queue was getting out of hand as they could not even see the end of it.

- There are so many! It will take ages to get in there, noted an annoyed Gwen. How many of us are there?

- The year I joined we were around two thousand new recruits for this base alone. There is ten of them on Erin IV. It should be roughly the same for you… Zat! I’m not about to wait for that long! Follow me, I know a way.

Anil turned around the corner, walking straight to a back door. As no one was near, Camille feared he would try to do something bad with them but instead he started to click on a keypad fixed next to the entrance. In a few moves of his fingers, the door shot opened.

- Zat! I’m so good! Don’t look at me like that! I worked here during a long time, was my punishment for crashing on Sibelle office and destroying half the mess hall at the same time.

- You crashed on the canteen? Yelped Gwen horrified yet not so surprised by a drop. And you got away with it?

- Worked my ass off in the stock, my summer permission taken away and being sent to the Ring is not enough for you? I didn’t kill anyone you know! And it was Koliane fault all along!

- Would you stop Yelling, private Remzi?

The young boy jumped in a salute as an old officer appeared from behind one of the innumerable rows of rack populating the inside of the building.

- Quartermaster Vokker! Pleased to see you, sir!

- Keep the crap out of this Remzi! Those two are new trainees? Uncommon one it seems… You are cutting the line, are you?

- Yes, sir! I believe in efficiency and speed, standing with all the other goes against my personal opinions.

- If you continue to imitate private Luir, I will be the one to report you. Where is she?

- Koliane not home yet, needed to finish some stuff on the Ring. She will take a neff later in the day, maybe she is already rifting… Could you find two outfits for my recruits, sir?

As the soldier looked over them, Camille stood still as a statue. He gave off the same feeling as Major Lesskov, an intimidating quietude. His grey beard and hair had been badly chopped and his uniform was a mess, but it couldn’t damage the veteran aura. Rather, it was smoothing it as if he was the grandpa of the base. The girl could tell he and Anil liked each other, the boy seemed able to make friend with anyone, she was even impressed.

- Both thin, not tall at all… Come with me young ones, I will find what you need. And please, don’t become like him. I will not sustain another of his kind.

As he spoke not without a hint of a smile, his large hand upturned a tray of cloths. Within ten seconds he had put together two outfits similar to the ones everyone was wearing around the base. He also searched a bit more to assemble one for the older cadet.

- Should be good. Take one Remzi, you look ridiculous in your administrative uniform. Call me if there is any problem, I have other young to serve.

- The old Vokker never get sizes wrong. I don’t know how he do it, but that’s still a crappy skill. He muttered while removing his shirt, showing off his abdominals. Dress up quickly, I will drop you off at the entrance of the ceremonial hall.

- Here? In front of everyone?

Anil, already half naked rolled his eyes. He had forgotten how acted the new trainee each year.

- I forgot that… Let’s go to the break room, should be empty.

The two girls sighed with relief, even Gwen was not prepared to change in the middle of an alley and even thinking about it was making her turn red. They followed Anil impatient, the boy pointed out a door. Behind it was hidden a small room, a table fighting a few chairs in the middle. A few appliances had been stored in a tray coming from the Stock, one being a coffee machine with a note taped on it.

- Gift from Anil

- I found him quite amusing, he is lacking manners, but what could we expect of someone with his background? We need to be patient with all the people we will meet here.

- Hurry up! Yelled Anil from the other side. I wait for you outside, but you will soon learn that barrack and privacy don’t work together. Anyway, you will see tonight.

Camille turned an angry gaze at the door, but it didn’t twitch the slightest. She spread out the pile of clothes she was given before starting to undress. While Gwen was fighting against her dress, she removed each layer of cloth until being back in her birth attire. The cold ground was biting on her feet and her legs slowly covered up with goose bumps. She stopped her silent observation to dress, the short and sport bra furnished was not to her liking, but she couldn’t say a thing about it. She swiftly put on the terrible camo pant to drive away the cold air of Erin. Once the dark shirt was in place, she realized how well insulated her new outfit was.

Maybe it was not that terrible after all?

Behind her, Gwen was still entangled in her dress. Camille couldn’t not smile at the ridiculous display and after finishing to tie her new boots came in help to her fellow. Two minutes later, they were ready to escape the room, only wondering why their new outfit came with a pair of square glasses that once put on would stick to their face enough to hurt them. Abandoning it for later, they ran into a bored Anil.

- Perfect, let’s move to the ceremony. If you miss it, I think I will get killed by one of my… our superiors. Let’s hope you don’t get Sibelle as your barrack officer, she is a pest.

- Is major Lesskov one of them?

- Zat! No! He would kill all the trainees. Don’t worry, he will be your PE trainer. Believe me on this, he will give you a lot of bonus laps… More than actual laps probably!

- This major sound nasty, stated Gwen, I hope we don’t get him…

Anil could only smile to the girl concern as his squad tutor was hard to live with. Yet, he would not trade him for anyone else. Camille was thinking the opposite, she would have given nobility to anyone for putting the man away from her.

- Hey! Look! This is the ceremonial centre.

If one took into account every building in the base, the ceremonial heart of the training camp was the only one that could classify as majestic. Of the same dark steel and concrete as all his brothers, it towered over them by height and ornament. A row of onyx like metal was covering a row of column before its entrance, each one guarded by a pure white MEA holding flags of the federation and the prominent five. Once close enough to the monument, one could pick up the curved letters inscribed on every corner. Name of long forgotten soldiers, eternized on the same walls that would see grow the younger generation.

- The name of soldiers that died during the vlin’ns war… The ones we know about.

A gloom was cast over Anil’s face. The whole place saturated with solemnity and a grieving melancholia. Even the defender of the place kept their head low, paying tribute to their unmet brother in arms.

Years before, Camille had visited some similar monument on Earth. She never paid much attention to them and had remembered enjoying her afternoon talking with her friend as she was mute to the meaning behind such places. But now, with the possibility for her name to be written on those same walls, her blood froze with a single glimpse. With a single prayer, she wished to never know such fate before turning to their distant guide.

- I’m abandoning you here. You can walk inside and remember to not stare at people. Take care of you, we will see each other again after you finish the first month… If you made it. May dusts stay in your blood!

Anil turned right away and left on the double. He was expected elsewhere, and they needed to take their destiny in hand. The two trainees looked at each other before turning toward the large door opened for them. On each one, five abstract silhouettes were guarding the place. Impossible to mistake them for anything else, MEA of legends that defended the planet during its darker hours.

They slowly walked inside, following the never-ending flow of trainee coming from the Stock. They found themselves in a large room ending on a stage where the federation’s flag was exhibited next to the base’s one. Poorly lit outside of the scene, barely enough for them to see the others, the room was occulted by a fog born from every new soul combined breath. Camille found herself surrounded by so many disparate folks that she couldn’t just not stare at them.

One of the main skills a noble should train was their judgment. You need to be able to know someone with a glance, would often tell her father. The girl found it useless in noble society as everyone has always been nice to her, but in the dangerous place she found herself in, it could become a primal need.

As she studied her brothers and sisters face, she discerned fear and stress. Some were weeping in corners, their sobbing lost into the chaos. Others looking around with disbelieving faces, while a few were laughing and seemingly having a great time. Even before the beginning of the year, some primal hierarchy had set up among the young. The middle of the room had been invaded by multiple groups of tall girls, valag’fends Camille effortlessly recognised. If the young girl had not paid more attention to their kind during her walk, she swiftly forgot about Anil recommendation and took her time to study them.

It was like watching a pack of wild cat, almost none were daring enough to stand near them, but those with enough guts or lacking any survival instinct could contemplate their impressing physic. Their fit body was putting most of the boys to shame and the weakest of them could effortlessly run Camille in the mud. Each of them had long brown hair, meticulously braided and adorned with leaf, flowers or pearls for a few which contradicted with Camille’s view on the brawny girl.

Among all they were having the best time, laughing loudly while mocking the weaker young around them. Besides, Camille found the few standing near them even more impressing. If most of the Sul’doth where quite discreet, one of them was standing his ground against a flock of giggling girl. The massive scar at the back of his head gave a hint to his silent observer on how he managed to not be intimidated.

Founding it most impressive, she wanted to comment on it with Gwen but as she turned to face the girl, crashed into problem. Her chin was stopped by a shoulder, raising her gaze, she met two nasty amber eyes belonging to the tallest valag she had witnessed so far.

- Got a problem wanker?

Camille swallowed her saliva, taking a step back from the girl who closed instantly the distance.

- What? Lost your tongue already? The maggot wants a bit of bashing? It can’t apologies properly?

She found herself mute, unable to answer the simplest world to the girl. Never she had faced such aggressiveness and her mind, not ready for it, turned blanc in pursuit of an answer to would never come as the valag patience was already running low.

What am I supposed to do? Is she going to hit me?

- Can you at least try to confront someone of your size valag’fend?

Camille’s savior met a ragging gaze. If Camille felt short next to the girl, compare to him she was an insect. One meter and thirty-five centimetres were not enough to reach the end of his neck and even the valag was shocked by the size of the newcomer. If not enough, his deep black skin was making him look even more impressing while his pure white pupils were locked on his foes.

- What’s your problem nog’lon? Want me to break those shiny knees? Making you maggot size?

- You should keep that energy for later. If you still stand at the end of the day, I’m sure we can find some time to have fun.

- Will be the last time you have some, after that I’ll rip your balls of!

Finishing her sentence, she collided with hum. Regretfully, he didn’t budge a bit and she had to step away. Her face twisted with anger and she threw a glare that would have killed anyone but the behemoth. Even if she was not the target of the unbound animosity, Camille broke a cold sweat just by watching. If she was not about to befriend any of those scary valag, that last had become a key target to avoid. She also had reserve with nog’lon but that last seemed rather nice, an unexpected outcome.

- Thank you, breather Camille. I was afraid she would hit me…

- Don’t mind them, valag’s brain is made of muscle, even more than my kind. My name is Ender, Ender Mercer and as you may see I’m a nog’lon.

- Camille Weiss…

- And I’m Gwenaëlle Devos, call me Gwen!

Camille heart jumped in her chest. The sudden reappearance of her friend mistaken for some cunning attack from her past opponent. The girl had vanished during all the altercation which Camille couldn’t blame her for as she would have acted the same.

- You two don’t look like trainees at all. Where are you coming from?

- Earth, we are human!

- Never heard of it, he smiled sympathetically. Hope we don’t get that burn head in our group, she would be a pain in the ass.

- We will be split into groups? Asked Camille with a higher pitch, I’d rather be with the two of you.

- We don’t get our word on that part. We will be fifty in each one so there is a possibility, but don’t get to much hope.

Camille’s gaze fell on her feet, her toe twitching in her boots. She couldn’t manage to ease the stress corroding her thought, and with each passing second the weak dam she had built collapsed a bit more. The simple idea of founding herself with a group of forty valag was enough to push tears at the corner of her eyes. Those were more beast than people, they would do the girl in one bite.

- How do you know that? Are you sure?

-My family is made of soldier. I know quite the lot about all this mess. I enlisted by choice, not with the help of some letters. That girl we saw before did it too, and all her comrades with her. Valag is the only race where they refuse applicants each year.

That last information was not to surprise her. The brutish girls appeared as born warriors even if they lacked the spark of intellect, common to other soldiers she had met before. Even if the room started to get crowded, she could see the bully in the far away. She had joined with the group, but even her kind had stepped away from her. Racial hierarchy of simply afraid of the strongest? She was unsure and was not about to ask anyway, lest she interacted with them, the better.

Fast enough, she found herself blocked between Ender and Gwen. The tall boy was making a wall of his body to stop the unending flow of trainee trying to push their way to the front. He was decidedly more rock than flesh.

- It’s about to start.

Camille’s eyes moved across the room to find the stage where a few officers had just arrived. Gwen’s hand slid against her, grabbing it in an effort to reassure herself. Both girls were shaking on their feet, silent prayer asking for luck to be on their side. Camille quickly abandoned any idea about that last when she recognised the man standing in front of them, and who she started to know too well.

- Fuck! It’s Lesskov!

Ender’s whisper was filled with respect. From the short list of accomplishment, she had heard about, nothing was enough to earn this kind of respect. Yet, he was watching him with shiny eyes, like a child in front of a new toy.

- So, started the major dropping a deathly silence on the room. My superior, colonel Extrins just called me because he doesn’t have any time for you…

He stopped as his glacial gaze moved across the mass of young trainee. Everyone was watching him with attention, fear and expectation. Cocktail of emotions, unique to each trainee as they tried to identify the one talking to them.

- Now, I understand why. He dropped like a grim omen of what was to come. Is this all the crap they are sending us for this year? I admit that I’m disappointed, no one told me we had to care for such a flock.

The whole room stood still, most had not expected the venomous tone of the man and were now goggling on him totally lost. He dropped in front of the stage, descending at a meter from the front row, which promptly tried to step back, but it was already too late. The major walked straight at them and grabbed the first poor boy he could. His fist squashed his belly and he drop on his knees, spitting his breath out as he tried to reclaim it.

- Are you some kind of mollusc?! He shouted out before hauling him in front of the stage. The next generation of soldier? I can only see meat send to the grinder.

As he vented his anger, he grabbed the girl who seemed lost by the situation. She met the same fate and was thrown at fifty centimetres to the right from the first one. He continued his slaughter until he had drawn a nice square of broke trainee.

- Good! Look at your comrades, they just learned to stand in fucking rows! You are all going to do the same of I will do it myself until you are all aligned. Understood?

- Yes, instructor!

They all responded like one, spilling the words before falling in total panic. Everyone was trying to find the place he was supposed to be, and it took a long minute for them to do so. When finally, all was over, Lesskov seemed more disappointed than angry. During a few second Camille could see the same men than before, cold but impossible. Soon enough his mask came back, and he began yelling again while walking in the middle of the rows.

- Leg a bit split! Get that chess out, I have seen vlin’ns broader than you! Yes, that’s better… Maybe we can move to the actual point of this ridiculous joke. I am major Alexandr Lesskov but for you and during the next month it will be instructor Lesskov. Forget it and I will be the one sending you to the medical lieutenant.

His steel gaze moved on the trainees. With a glimpse he knew everything about them. Who was afraid of him, thinking he was a joke or even if they were bored with his little act. Slowly, the real major came back, and his tone returned to the deep composure she had heard on the TV, which could catch anyone attention.

- Some of you… may think they are warrior or anything like that. Maybe it was true, but you have become soldiers of the federation and I expect you to act as such. You will respect orders from me, the twenty barracks referents up there and of course you professors which we are among. In a few minutes, you will be split in small groups of fifty and each one of the referents will take responsibility for two barracks. For the upcoming month, they will be like your parents with only one difference, they want you dead.

He stopped in front of a young girl. From the back Camille recognized Koliane’s race as she had bright orange hair shinning under the roof’s spotlight.

- Where are you from, little one?

- Sin’riel, instructor Lesskov.

- the Vlin’ns empire capital?

- The empire is a part of the Alliance… It’s no longer our capital instructor. We fight together now…

- Well spoke, keep that in mind all of you. Here at BD base, there is not a lot of rules outside of the military conduct. But there is one thing you all need to understand! He says while leaning toward the valag Camille had met earlier. We are all in the same shit. I don’t give a damn fuck about your race, age, sexes or if you believe you are more worthy than other. You are soldiers, and as such you will train, bleed, die together. If I see, heard or even think, any of you as attacked his comrade because of his race… I will execute him myself. If it’s because this one is a vlin’ns, then I will gut you alive.

Lesskov was firm and conclusive, no doubt those were not random threat. If anyone exceeded it, he would meet a painful death and the major would be the one to make sure of it. Lesskov, like nothing, was continuing his review and slowly approached the girl. The closer his steps and the least she managed to breath correctly, she hoped for him to not recognise her and avoid the shame. Before long, it reached it’s worth when he stopped just before her, his eyes on Ender whom he had spotted from afar.

- And you, where is your home?

- I’m standing on it, instructor. I have lived on Erin for most of my life.

Lesskov head tilted a bit as the young nog’lon kept starting at him.

- Are you not afraid?

- No, sir. My parent were soldiers and told me about the trail that I should face. I came prepared and serving is a pleasure for me, instructor.

- A pleasure? Do you have anything in this head of yours? Tell me your parent’s name, I will send them my condolence right after.

- They are the 4th Oriln, they served with you on Nofreon II where they adopted me and during the liberation push. The one who raised me as a father got is MEA repaired by you, he still talks great praise about your skill.

- The fourth? Not much nog’lon among them. Make them proud son, your family bled a lot during the war and deserve more praise than me.

- Yes, instructor!

His gaze moved to the next in the line, Camille. A lightning of surprise ran through his face and he stopped his walk to make sure he was not seeing visions. Even without looking at him, she could feel the cold glare as he was trying to accept the situation. Of course, the man would recognise her. She felt stupid to have believed the opposite and was now ready to face his disdain, tears at the corner of her eyes. He resumed his walk, ignoring completely the girl after shock freezing in front of everyone. Camille’s breath returned with a taste of incomprehension. What could go through the major head?

- But all here will not become soldiers. As you may know we only take one thousand five hundred and forty trainees in the combat division each year. The best of you will find a comfy place among BD-1 and the worse among BD-4. For those not talented enough to make it among the worst one, you will join our secondary logistic unit and discover the joy of the frontline without a gun to defend yourself and hard labour barely paid.

The young noble felt attacked by the last comment. If not directed at her, the man held the girl in mind saying it. After all, Lesskov was known for disliking noble.

- From today and onward, you will be evaluated in many aspects. Competence, potential, physical abilities and mental awareness among a few. We will follow every part of your training to draw the line between the useful and incompetent. Even your growth through the month will be taken into consideration before your final result. Only the more talented will join the core army, so give your best and pour it all like all of us did before you. Show us that you are a step above.

The whole room was stuck to his lips and as he finished his long speech, a heavy silence fell over the room. If he had started with fear and overwhelming power, the man’s goal was lying in his last words. They had found their way in more than one trainee, motivating them to demonstrate their best.