Isabela was in a frenzy after being accepted into the First Battalion. She quickly moved on to the next hall. When she finally completed the entry process and received her equipment, the girl noticed that the two boys were no longer there with her.

She couldn’t find them anywhere in the dormitory of the First Battalion.

"Were they assigned to the Second Battalion?" she wondered. Oliver was likely, especially since he was nameless, and most still had a lingering prejudice against them.

"But Alan? That didn’t make sense." The girl pondered. She had seen him being called to receive his battalion, but she couldn't remember which one Alan had been sent to.

It wasn’t typical for someone affiliated to a House to end up in the Second Battalion, especially if their evaluations were good.

While the girl was still mulling over the boys' whereabouts, she reached the front of the First Battalion building. It was east of the island, opposite the Second Battalion's buildings. Its access was limited; only students carrying the First Battalion's insignia could pass through its entrance.

Looking at the construction, it was much larger than she had imagined. She had heard of others who had come to this base, but still, at first sight, it was impressive. The building appeared to be carved straight from stone. Its walls were white as marble but with a metallic shine. Moreover, the structure reminded her of the Senate building. She wasn’t an Heiress, so she had never seen the Senate from the inside. But it was exactly how she thought it would be.

The First Battalion would not give the recruits any rest. Among the notices Isabela received was the news of her introductory class on the very same day. The girl sat in the lobby, waiting for her first class to begin, but she wasn't the only cadet in that lobby.

Several other groups of girls and boys were spread around the room, many of whom knew each other from before the Academy. All the cadets wore an insignia with an ‘I’ on their chests to symbolize the battalion they belonged to. However, even with the emblem and uniform, it was possible to notice adornments that differentiated the levels among the nobility, from rings to even decorated hairstyles among boys and girls.

Isabela also recognized some students, having seen them at large events among the Houses; however, her House wasn’t as strong on this side of the planet. Many saw De Luca as a less important noble house, restricted to food production in sector 55.

"Bela! Hey Bela!"

From across the lobby, a girl waved her arms with all her might to catch Isabela’s attention.

"Astrid!" Isabela spoke upon noticing the girl.

Also, for the first time, she noticed that almost everyone in the lobby was looking at the two of them. She wasn’t shy, but seeing so many influential people paying attention to her steps intimidated her.

As she approached Astrid, Isabela finally got a second look at the girl. Astrid had grown over the ten years they had known each other; her red hair was shinier than ever, but there were new scars on her face and arms. It was a result of her House's training. The Freya House was known for producing exceptional Rangers, with a training regime that could daunt even the Academy.

However, Ranger training wasn’t a glamorous subject, so it wasn’t one of the most sought-after Houses. Like De Luca House, both had a necessary impact on the Empire but without attracting attention from other nobles.

"Which dormitory are you in? I tried to find you yesterday," Isabela said as she tried to pull her friend to the corner of the lobby.

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"I think I'm in the north wing; my room is the farthest away." Astrid frowned as she complained about the room arrangements. Little did they know that the Second Battalion slept in cramped bunk beds.

While the two were catching up on how each other was doing and how things were in each House, a commotion began to form in the lobby. Several students were still seated in chairs, but most gathered near the classroom door.

Both girls stretched to see what was happening, and after standing on tiptoes, they finally caught sight of it. Among the rows of cadets, one person stood out from the rest. A young man who looked just a few years older than them. However, his cold and rigid gaze gave the impression that he had much more experience than anyone in that hall. His serious expression surveyed each student in the hall, and with a slight nod, it was the motivation the students needed to enter the classroom.

But not before the girls took a look at his attire. Like the other captains, he wore a standard uniform of the New Earth Army, but his was slightly different. Instead of the dark green of the others, it was black and adorned with gold buttons and an emblem of a lion with eagle wings around it. This was the symbol of the Senate; the captain was an Heir.

The two girls looked at each other; having a teacher like this was rare. The Heir of a House was destined to participate in the Senate, one of the Empire's highest political circles. For someone like this to be at the Academy, they would have chosen it rather than being forced, as most Houses’ members were.

No wonder the students quickly began to cluster to enter the classroom. Isabela and Astrid joined the crowd, walking down the long corridor to the classroom. But just before entering, Isabela bumped into a wall.

"Ouch! Hey!" She noticed she had bumped shoulders with a boy. She felt Astrid pull her arm before she could complain or say anything.

"Oops, sorry. My friend wasn’t paying attention." Astrid spoke while looking at the boy in front of her, shaking her head apologetically.

‘Boy’ was a simplistic way to describe what the two saw, as hardly anyone would guess he was a cadet. Unlike other nobles, he had a completely shaved head, with a symbol tattooed on the sides: “41-01.” Next to him were two other boys with similarly shaved heads and tattoos. But what was most frightening was their size. The height and muscles of the three were unhuman, and their faces, devoid of expression, instilled fear in anyone who crossed their path.

The boy didn’t spare a second, returning to face forward and heading to one of the seats.

"Fuck …" Astrid said quietly as she began to breathe normally again.

Isabela didn’t know who the boys were, but she had learned from her life among the Houses that many powerful people never appeared in the spotlight, and judging by Astrid’s reaction, these were some of them.

Astrid held one of Isabela's arms, pulling her to a seat farther back in the room. The two sat side by side, with Isabela looking attentively at her friend, waiting for an explanation about what had just happened.

"The triplets on steroids. Don’t mess with them; among all the craziest Houses I’ve seen, they’re definitely the worst." Astrid began to speak more quietly as she pointed to two rows ahead. Her face clearly showed the disgust she felt for the boys.

Isabela had never seen her friend speak about anyone with such disdain. She had seen others with prejudice against the Nameless, but to another House, it was pretty rare.

"Why?" Isabela asked.

"They’re from House Astor," Astrid answered as if it was apparent.

"… and? Should that mean something?" Isabela, still confused, asked once more.

"What have they been teaching in Sector 55?!" Astrid replied incredulously, trying to control her tone.

"Astor is responsible for Human Farms. These things are mass-produced there, and I’m not talking about cloning." Astrid continued explaining while avoiding gazing at the boys.

Isabela’s face went through various emotions as she imagined what a Human Farm could be and what it meant to have sent one of their ‘products’ to participate in the Academy.

"I-I … can imagine," Isabela commented.

"So listen when I say you won’t want to mess with them. The Astors are so brutal that they make the Orks look cute…" Before she could continue her sentence, a book hit Astrid squarely in the face.

"It’s disrespectful not to listen to the professor in class, but beyond that, talking crosses all limits. Lady Freya, pay attention; I’m about to start the introductory class!" The young captain looked seriously at the two girls, who were caught up in their conversation and hadn’t noticed a teacher was trying to start his lesson.

"I’ll start again! I am Captain Scipio from House Sforza, and I will be responsible for the First Battalion. This will be the special introductory class for the First Battalion." The professor started his explanation.

Scipio turned back to look at the girls. “So, please pay close attention.”