Military School of Peacius, Nation of Peacius, 21st Ledia 1325

“Young men and women. Let us get down to business,” announced Henri. “All of you are considered nothing here. Not even worth a single dirt that is on the ground. Which is why I am going to make all of you into someone worthy of fear, respect, envy and so on and so forth.”

It hasn’t even been long after the entrance ceremony ended that I am feeling so bored. Bored of speeches. Bored of school. Bored with everything!

“Now! To end all these boring talks. All of you get changed into your physical training wear and get back here in 2 minutes.” Henri commanded as if he read my mind.

Even though things were starting to become slightly more interesting. I still reluctantly dragged my feet. While my platoon mates were running. I kept on questioning why me. Why am I in this school?

Suddenly, a pair of hands landed on my shoulders and a glinting pair of glasses glided to the side of my face.

“Feeling drained already, are we? Fear not, Henri Vici is here to help!”

A ray of white light blinded my eyes for a few seconds and I felt so breezy as the light faded away. But after a few seconds, I felt as though something huge just left my body. Making me feel violated. Once the light faded away, I looked around me and I was already in my physical training attire. A white high-quality cloth singlet with black cloth pants that covered my thighs.

“WHAT WAS THAT LIGHT!?” shouted voices from the dorm.

“Hmmm, so it is true. Very well. Here, wear this ring,” Henri suggested while holding out a silver ring with weird inscriptions on it. “It will help you in your time here.”

“Ermm. Okay…” I took the ring and fitted it onto my right index finger.

“AHH FUCK!”, the ring tightened itself quickly as if trying to break my finger.

“Now, now. That is not a very nice word. I shall mete out a suitable punishment.” said Henri as if he planned for me to shout that.

He brought up his right hand and chanted some sort of spell and his hand shone red. His left hand adjusted his glasses and dashed forward to my face with his right hand trailing behind.

*FWOOMMM*

His right hand punched me in my abdomen and I flew back into the dorm. Knocking down a few platoon mates in the process.

“That is just the beginning, my lovelies. Now, all of you all are a second late. And that is a no-no. Push-up positions, down!”

Before any of my platoon mates could rebut, the devil chanted another spell. An invincible force slammed us face first into the ground. Even the girls were not spared.

“Come on, you guys need to be faster than that. Even the leaf falling can fall faster.”

“What the fuck. Just what was that for? I don’t deserve this.” I thought to myself.

“Let me repeat myself again. I said that you guys are nothing more than dirt. And this is how I treat dirt,” he spoke as if he read my mind again. “When I say up, do one push-up. Understood?”

None of us could speak with us face in the ground.

“When I say understood. You all say, YES SIR. Is that clear?” said Henri as he increased the force on us.

“Y-Y-YES. S-S-I-IR!” we all shouted with sand and dirt getting into our mouths.

“UP!”

I tried my best to push myself up but forgot that the spell is still active. Same went for the rest of my platoon mates. Our hands trembled trying to push against the invincible force.

“Come on. What a weak bunch of dirt. Fine. Use whatever means to do the push-ups if you all want.”

“Just what is this man trying to achieve? Try to turn us into someone worthy? I will die before that happens!” I shouted in my heart.

“Don’t worry, you all won’t die. After all, I do have a reputation of taking care of my underlings.”

Again. Did he read my mind?

“UP!”

I tried to push myself up with raw strength but to no avail. Each failure to push myself up resulted in my face getting shoved into the ground by the relentless force. While my face was getting a dirt facial, my platoon mates gathered mana in their arms to strengthen themselves. They eventually prevailed against the force.

“Very smart, you all are now promoted to ants!” said Henri in a sarcastic tone.

“UP!”

I tried to gather mana in my arms as well. But I couldn’t. Thus, I was slammed against the dirt yet again. This cycle continued throughout the whole exercise before the devil said that he was tired from using the spell to force us down.

“Ahhhh, with the warm-up done. I shall introduce myself again. I am Henri Vici, your mentor for the rest of your time here. I am expecting that you all can socialise, so please do get to know each other in your own time. Relationships with your mates will be very important.” said Henri as he glanced at me. “Finally, if you have any questions, speak up now. I won’t entertain you all anymore after this.”

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"Who are you? Really."

“As I’ve said, I am Henri Vici.”

"What is the real aim of this school?"

“To simply train all of you to be worthy of something.”

"Is the warm-up going to be a routine?"

“No, more exciting things will be coming.”

"Where are we in Peacius?"

“To the north, that’s all I can say.”

"How are we going to communicate with the outside?"

All sorts of questions were asked and all of them were answered by Henri without a trace of doubt.

“If you all are lucky, you may receive letters or you may write letters to the outside. If not, there are no other ways. If that’s all, let us truly begin training. Please pair up.”

I glanced around and everyone was in pairs except a frail looking boy. Feeling like I was going to do him a favour, I strode towards him and asked him to be my partner. To which he just quietly nodded.

“Now, I want you all to spar with each other! But please do not kill each other or injure each other grievously. Minor injuries are accepted though!” shouted Henri as he slowly backed away from the platoon.

Without warning, a ball of blue flames flew towards and burst right in front of my face before it could do any real damage.

“I won’t be going easy on the next one, Teiga.” said the boy as he prepared another ball of flames.

“What. How did you know my name, we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet. And don’t look down on me!” I shouted. I did not know what to do. I couldn’t even gather mana in my arms in the warm-up!

“Very well then. I am Fredrik Dash. Nice to meet you!” introduced Fredrik as he hurled another ball of mana flame at me while preparing another on his free hand.

 “I. am. Teiga. Ura.” I introduced myself as I tried my best to dodge his onslaught of mana.

“Dude, can you retaliate. If not, I will just finish you off now. I’m running out of mana.”

“Erh, I would if I could. But I can’t seem to gather mana!”

“TEIGA! A SMALL TIP. JUST PICTURE YOUR HANDS HOLDING AIR THAT CAN BE FELT AND SEEN!” shouted Henri from the other side of the training grounds.

“Wha-” a ball of mana flame slammed into my chest and I stumbled back a few steps. The flames felt lukewarm but they sure pack a punch if used properly.

“Are you finally ready? And this is supposed to be called a spar? More like babysitting.”

“Shut up and give me a few seconds…” I closed my eyes trying to picture myself holding a ball of air that I can see and feel. Slowly, my hands felt lukewarm and I opened my eyes to a modest ball of flames.

“AHAHAHAHAH. You call that a ball of mana flames? It is more like a marble!” laughed Fredrik as he grabbed his stomach. Upon hearing him, all my platoon mates turned towards me and laughed as well.

I was starting to feel annoyed at the fact that I, a noble, is losing to a frail-looking nobody and being laughed at by a crowd of commoners. The feeling grew stronger and so did the flames. But before it could grow beyond the grasp of my hand, the silver ring tightened itself causing me to lose control of the ball and allow it to fizzle out.

“AHAHAHAH. Looks like your marble is gone!” with this sentence. The laughter intensified.

I never felt so disgraced. I could only lower my head to avoid all eye contacts. I wished that I could just run into the forest and stay there until things died down but I couldn’t. I could only participate in the spar and either win it or lose it. Realising that the only choice for me is to continue with the spar.

I closed my eyes again and tried to picture myself holding solid feeling air. Once I feel that my hand was getting warm. I opened my eyes and threw the ball with the aim of hitting Fredrik’s “punchable” face.

It did hit his face but he didn’t even budge.

“What was that supposed to be? I changed my mind. It isn’t a marble but a bubble!”

And so, the laughter continued.

I was in total despair. My pride has been smashed. I truly am nothing but dirt now. I have been bested by a commoner. I wanted to cry. But I was too embarrassed to even let a droplet of tear form.

“If that is all you got. Then I shall show you all I got as well!” shouted Fredrik as he formed a sword using mana and leapt towards me.

I stood rooted to the ground in embarrassment. I looked at Fredrik’s face to see a look of excitement knowing that he is going to defeat me.

Down, came the sword which sliced my chest. Even though the cut was very shallow, I could feel the intense heat of his mana cutting through my skin.

“Tch, this is no fun,” complained Fredrik as he backed off in search of another partner.

I stood under the endlessly blue sky with the cut oozing out warm blood continuously. The smell of iron was starting to become stronger. But at least the singlet won’t be stained with blood. After all, it was sliced in half as well. I can always get my maid to sow it back again. Then I remembered what Henri said about us being here for the next 3 years. I then realised I am truly alone for the first time. I don’t even have a lot of mana. How am I going to find out the cause of the desertification with Leroi…

“Oh my god. Let me patch this up for you…” comforted a girl with short brown hair that reaches her shoulders. “Oh, I am Venus Sora.”

She placed her hands on my chest and produced mana while tracing the cut.

“I have only used my mana to speed up your cells’ regeneration but the scar will still remain. I hope you are okay.” Informed the girl with a sad look in her eyes.

Seeing her eyes agitated me.

“I don’t need your pity, Venus.” I coldly turned away and grabbed my torn singlet before walking off into the dorm to change into another one.

“My, my. What an ungrateful dirt. I will definitely need to punish him for that.” said Henri as he stood beside Venus.

“No, it’s okay,” Venus said quietly.

***

Royal Bedroom, Cronberg Palace, Empire of Noct, 21st Ledia 1325

*Knock* *Knock*

“Your majesty, urgent news has arrived from our sources in Peacius.”

“What is it.”

“It is reported that the Empire of Alantieus has found an omnipotent source of magic energy that will heavily improve their military might. And the Kingdom of Verserius has allied itself with them as of yesterday noon.”

“Hoh… Interesting. Summon all the available ministers and generals to the throne room.”

In the throne room, stained glass stretched all around with countless silk banners that signify previous Noctian rulers. At the end of the room was a decorated gold throne with bear pelt covering the seat and backrest.

On the throne sat the emperor of Noct, Emperor Desion IV. His face scarred with sword cuts and hands missing a few fingers from hunts.

Proud ministers line the throne room alongside their assistants while military generals lined up opposite them with their capes hanging behind them.

“My loyal subjects, it is with an unfortunate news that I summon all of you here today. God has it that we will be having a rivalling military might other than within ourselves. The hated Empire of Alantieus has discovered a source of power that will empower their people to be our equals, if not better.”

Mumblings begin to spread around the throne room with some ministers either having a sly or worried smile on their face. While the generals stood silently.

“SILENCE! We are in the presence of his majesty,” commanded General Kogher with ferocity in his voice.

“Tch” mumbled some ministers.

“Continuing on. I have decided that it is time for us to begin preparations for war. We can’t have the Empire of Alantieus becoming more powerful. For the generals, I command all of you to devote all of your time and effort into training steadfast and exemplary soldiers to fight for our empire's wellbeing. For the ministers, I command all of you to begin preparations to support the military. Be it financial or welfare. And of course, whatever I have said in this room. Stays in this room. End of meeting.” announced Desion before standing up and retreating back to his room.

“Your command has been received, your majesty!” shouted all of the ministers and generals as they kneel down on one knee and placing their right hand on their chest.

With those commands, the gears of war started to spin. Albeit slowly…